Interesting facts about lead Is a great opportunity to learn more about metals. Since the metal is toxic, it should not be used in everyday life, otherwise, over time, it can cause serious poisoning.
So, here are the most interesting facts about lead.
- Lead was very popular with ancient people, as evidenced by a number of archaeological finds. So, scientists managed to find lead beads whose age exceeded 6 thousand years.
- In Ancient Egypt, statuettes and medallions were made from lead, which are now kept in various museums around the world.
- In the presence of oxygen, lead, like aluminum (see interesting facts about aluminum), immediately oxidizes, becoming covered with a gray film.
- At one time, Ancient Rome was the world leader in the production of lead - 80,000 tons per year.
- The ancient Romans made plumbing out of lead without realizing how toxic they were.
- It is curious that the Roman architect and mechanic Vetruvius, who lived even before our era, declared that lead had a bad effect on the human body.
- During the Bronze Age, lead sugar was often added to wine in order to improve the taste of the drink.
- An interesting fact is that lead, as a specific metal, is mentioned in the Old Testament.
- In our body, lead accumulates in bone tissue, gradually displacing calcium. Over time, this leads to dire consequences.
- A good quality sharp knife can cut a lead ingot quite easily.
- Today, most of the lead goes into battery production.
- Lead is especially dangerous for the child's body, since poisoning with such a metal inhibits the development of the child.
- The alchemists of the Middle Ages associated lead with Saturn.
- Of all the known materials, lead is the best protection against radiation (see interesting facts about radiation).
- Until the 70s of the last century, lead additives were added to gasoline to increase the octane number. Later, this practice was discontinued due to serious harm to the environment.
- Recent studies have shown that in regions with a minimum level of lead contamination, crimes occur four times less often than in regions with a high concentration of lead. There are suggestions that lead has an extremely negative effect on the brain.
- Did you know that no gases dissolve in lead, even if it is in a liquid state?
- In the soil, water and air of an average metropolis, the lead content is 25-50 times higher than in rural areas where there are no enterprises.
