Environmental Research Foundation . . P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403 . . Subscriptions are free. To subscribe, E-mail the words . . People concerned about landfills and about 'mass burn' incinerators need to pay close attention to the toxic metal, lead.
Many new studies show it is more toxic, especially to children, than previously thought.
Because it is an element, lead never breaks down or biodegrades or goes away. Since ancient times, people have found lead useful because it is a soft metal that can be easily mined from ore in the ground, then shaped into pipes, pots, tanks, and other useful items. Ancient Egyptians used it for glazing pottery 7,000 years ago. There is evidence from the exhumed bones of Romans that the Roman upper classes exterminated themselves by eating and drinking with lead utensils. They ingested so much lead that they became sterile and couldn't reproduce themselves.