Lead Pollution and Its Affects.

There are several sources of lead pollution. According to the Environmental Protection Agency the greatest source of lead pollution in the United States is lead-based paints. Even though banned in 1978, millions of homes in the United States still contain lead paint and household dust contaminated with lead paint. The Center for Disease Control is especially concerned about the developmental effects of lead paint exposure to young children.

Older homes also contain lead pipes that can release lead into drinking water. Lead-based solder used to connect copper pipes until the middle of the 1980s is another source of lead pollution into drinking water. Even though Congress took political action limiting the use of lead in plumbing materials in1986, many older homes still exceed these limits.

Gas fumes was a significant source of lead pollution in the United States until 1973 because of an additive called tetraethyl lead. Even though restrictions were placed on the sale of gas containing this highly toxic additive in 1973, sale of this gas was not banned until 1996.

Lead fumes from this gas can permeate the soil and linger for years.

The last major source of lead pollution is from industries. Petroleum, mining, smelting, battery manufacturing, waste incinerating, ceramic, and even medicinal industries contribute to lead pollution. These industries release lead pollutants into the surrounding air and soil and workers in these factories can bring these lead particles into their homes.

The above sources can impact the surrounding ecosystems in three general ways. Micro-organisms can be wiped when lead exceeds 1,000 parts per million concentrations in soil. This will result in reduced rate of decomposition of matter. The natural plants or invertebrates in the ecosystem that are affected by lead concentrations in the soil can be replaced by nonnative species thereby changing the ecosystem. Lead deposits from airborne pollutants that settle on plants can affect...