EE handout and notes - Daniel Mano 2017 PDF

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Daniel Mano 2017...

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Environmental Ethics- Lead Poisoning BRIEF INTRO/ Lead is a naturally abundant heavy metal in the Earth's crust, that has been used since prehistoric times and is now widely distributed and mobilized in the environment. Occupational and environmental exposures to lead remain a serious problem in developing and industrializing countries, as well as some developed countries. We will be reviewing nature and the importance of environmental exposure to lead, along with requirements and future policy solutions and interventions. • Globally, extensive processing of lead ores is estimated to have released about 300 million tonnes of lead into the environment over the past 5 millenia (mostly in the past 500 years) • With the boom of motor vehicles in the beginning of the 20th century, there was a increase in environmental lead contamination due to the use of lead in gas. -->leading to the increase of community exposure throughout much of the century. • World lead consumption rose to 844,000 tonnes between 1979 and 1990, this consumption is responsible for the great increase of lead circulation in soil, water and air as a result of human activities and still remains significant to this day. • Battery production remains the most modern usage of lead today and leads to major emissions to our air today. • Despite efforts in some countries to control environmental lead circulation, reservoirs of this metal still are found in soil, dust and house paint. • Due to the phasing out of lead in petrol, blood lead levels have fallen dramatically over 20 years. • Lead was the one of the first substances to be added to the List of Toxic Substances, of the original Canadian Environmental Protection Act... (Risk management tools to name a few, are: gasoline regulations, regulations for the import and export of lead, contaminated fuel regulations, lead smelter release regulations, environmental practices for steel mills, canadian water quality guidelines, and metal mining regulations. Sources of and exposure to lead thru the environment -soil/dust near lead industries, road ways, lead painted houses -lead containing paint -lead particles emitted from vehicles ( (e.g. PbBrCl) -paint stripping of houses during home reno's -lead particles emitted from mines

Examples of Preventive Measures - avoiding hazards, and reducing risks • • •

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substituting, voluntarily or by legal prohibition, the use of lead in domestic paints, plumbing, toys, earthenware glazes, petrol etc. raising the pH of the domestic water supply (i.e. rendering it more alkaline) by adding lime (calcium hydroxide), or adding calcium phosphate reduction of the risks of adverse effects of occupational exposure on health is achieved by substitution, enclosure, segregation, local exhaust ventilation, personal protection, and appropriate work practices i.e. by control Phasing out lead additives in fuels Reducing and phasing out of lead based paints Eliminating use of lead in food containers Improving control over exposure to lead in workplaces Improving identification of populations at high risk of exposure Improving understanding and awareness of exposure to lead

What is so beneficial about lead? -it is a soft, heavy inexpensive material which makes it ideal in the production of consumer products like pipes, sheeting and filler in the automobile industry.In Canada, the major use of lead is in the manufacture of (lead-acid) batteries used in automobiles. It is also used in ammunition and fishing weights. Lead pigments are added to glass to prevent radiation exposure from television and computer screens, to storage containers for nuclear waste. Lead-acid batteries account for the most significant proportion of global lead consumption. Lead is added to solder to help keep a smooth finish on things such as circuit boards and the inside hardward of cars. Lead-free solder has shown to be grainy and cause an effect of the metal called “tin -whiskering” where the metal changes over time due to temperature and exposure, where it resembles little hair like whiskers which can be very dangerous in cars and circuit boards. With lead added into the solder, it provides a clean, smooth surface that will not change due to environmental exposure. It also melts at a lower temperature meaning the process itself of soldering is much easier.

airborne Lead particles can fall onto crops and soil, where it is absorbed into the plants.

Cons of lead in the environment: -Lead used in fuels contributes to more pollution of the air, especially in urban areas. -It is becoming to cheaper to buy because of the toxicity of it, which means an increase in the purchase of it for uses in fuel, paints, batteries, etc.

Environmental Racism: People who are not well off enough to live in safer areas will be living near industrial facilities that have runoff and/or higher levels of lead in the environment compared to somewhere of a higher social class would be living. If everyone is entitled to equal concern or respect of the political decision on how to distribute costs and benefits, then allowing uncompensated groups of individual to carry more environmental burden than others is arbitrary discrimination. (Environmental Justice: Creating Equality, Reclaiming Democracy By Kristin Shrader-Frechette, Oxford University Press, 2002)...