Does anyone know the harm that lead can do to the earth or humans or anything living in general?
465545
Lead is easily absorbed through contact with the skin, ingestion or inhalation.  If I remember correctly, it binds to hemoglobin in the blood and inhibits oxygen transfer much like carbon monoxide does so it slowly smothers you to death from the inside.
618406
These days, we're rightly worried about environmental pollution, and heavy metals usually means lead, mercury, thallium, uranium and cadmium.   Cadmium isn't all that heavy, but all these metals have a few things in common.   There wasn't much in the environment until human civilisation.   None has any biological use; the ideal amount to be exposed to is zero.   And they're all cumulative poisons; your body isn't very good at getting rid of them.   Compare with a poison like cyanide or carbon monoxide or green potatoes.   If you survive any of these, your body gets rid of them and you make a complete recovery.   In the case of lead, your body sequesters some of it in your bones, and when you get old and you get degenerative bone disease, it is released into your blood stream.
239984
In excess it can destroy your life. Check this website. you'll get your answers..
167637
Although it might seem convenient to make up formula from warm tap water, this is not safe according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Compared with cold tap water, warm water is far more likely to carry lead that has leached out from the plumbing. Lead levels in drinking water tend to be highest in homes built before 1930 with lead pipes; homes less than 5 years old with copper pipes and lead solder, and homes with brass faucets or fittings.
554598
Pollution and DDT can cause poor environments.  All the oil and logging industries causes detriment to fishing of salmon for eagles.  As civilization expands their habitat shrinks.
1070130
Yes, we have affected and been affecting our Mother Earth largely!\nEvery road disturbs the natural ways of animal movements.\nOur use of certain chemicals destroy sections of the atmosphere.\nCreation of cement cities lowers the natural beauty!\nNuclear tests are changing regions.\nProfessional fishing eliminates kinds of sea life.\nand so on!
244775
The answer is B, Humans.  This is because as with most toxic chemicals in trace amounts the organism at the top of the food chain is more likely to ingest in higher quantities.  \n\nThe crab eats the algae (which has lead in it) this gives an increase in lead in the crab, as the crab eats more algae the amount of lead in the crab increases.  Now, the crocodile eats the crab and gets all the lead that was in the crab (an increased amount because of the lead in the crab from the algae it was eating).  If the crocodile eats more crabs its levels of Lead go up again.  Now if a man eats that crocodile its lead levels will be the highest, and so man will ingest the most lead because of a build up of lead through the system.
1154614
the lead accumulates in the mouse body, when eaten by an owl the contamination is passed to the owl where it will accumulate to a toxic level if enough mice are consumed by the owl
399253
From my understanding of history..lead was laying around in pellets all over the eastern and northeastern United States. Because it was easily melted it was as the other answer given used to make bullets, pots, pans and dinnerware. Unfortunantly for our forefathers many died young.....BECAUSE OF LEAD POISONING....sad but true.
204443
Once or twice? probably nothing.\n\nSome metal oxides are toxic. Some can add traces of metals to your body. Traces of metals (unlike the minerals we get from food) have ill effect.\n\nDon't even buy canned food, if you see dent's on the cans.
1091847
Iron and lead are both elements, so in their pure form, they wouldn't contain any trace of the other.\n\nIn a given sample of rock, however, iron and lead might both be present in some quantity, along with other substances.  The percentage would depend on the sample, and would vary depending on the source.  However, the iron itself would still not contain lead.
236044
There may be no noticeable symptoms of lead poisoning because the effects are subtle or may mimic other conditions. When lead poisoning levels are severe, some general symptoms can include digestive problems, fatigue, headaches, and higher rates of tooth decay. \n\nChildren with chronic lead poisoning may show slightly lower intelligence and may be smaller in size than children their age who do not have lead poisoning. Behavioral problems can include irritability or aggressiveness, hyperactivity, learning difficulties, lethargy, and loss of appetite.\n\nIn adults, behavioral symptoms can include irritability, mood and personality changes, changes in sleep patterns, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and decreased sex drive. \n\nAt high levels, lead can affect the central nervous system, leading to poor coordination, weakness in hands and feet, headaches, and in severe cases, convulsions, paralysis, and coma.
1065488
Lead wasn't really used intentionally to kill bacteria, it just did that as a side effect.  Unfortunately, it tended to do the same to humans.  Over the years, we've come up with better means to control bacteria.  The lead in old homes was primarily found in lead water pipes and lead-based paints.  Walls aren't generally very good environments for bacteria anyway, and as the previous poster mentioned, we now put chlorine in tap water, which is more effective than lead at killing bacteria, and less toxic for humans, too.\n\nOverall, people now have better hygiene habits, combined with a previously non-existent knowledge of the extistence of bacteria (and a somewhat irrational fear of them) that leads us to keep our homes rather more bacteria-free than back in the days of lead-based paint and water pipes.
243462
What could be harmful to you?
455962
pollution is the presence of harmful substances in the envionment. some that are effecting or enviornment today are. piles of garbage,americans produce more houshold waste than any other nation. billions of kilograms of this waste are classified as hazordous. which means it's harmful to humans and the environment. Hazordous waste also comes from homes, old cars, paints, batteries, medical wastes, and detergents all pollute the environment. \nNuclear power plants produce electricity for millions of homes and businesses they also produce radioactive wastes, special kinds of  hazordous wastes that take hundreds of thousands of years to become harmless. These "hot" wastes can cause cancer, leukemia, and birth defects in humans. Radio active wastes can have harmful effects on all living things.\nSome pollutants affect the senses. These include bad odors and loud noises. too much noise is not just annoying but affects the ability to hear and think. \nI hope this helps you with your homework.
140797
Symptoms\n\nLead poisoning usually does not cause noticeable symptoms. Most lead poisoning comes from low levels of exposure over a long period of time. The major organ systems affected are the central nervous system, gastrointestinal (digestive) tract, and the renal system (urinary tract).\n\nChronic lead exposure may cause the following symptoms.\n\nGeneral physical symptoms in children and adults (usually seen when lead poisoning levels are severe)\n\nStomachaches, cramping, constipation, or diarrhea \nNausea, vomiting \nPersistent, unexplained fatigue \nHeadache \nMuscle weakness \nHigher rates of tooth decay \nChildren with chronic low blood lead levels who may not have obvious symptoms of lead poisoning may show slightly lower intelligence and be smaller in size than children their age who do not have low to moderate levels of lead poisoning. A recent study showed that declines in IQ can even be seen in children with blood lead concentrations below 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (10 µg/dL), the level of concern defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. 11 Chronic exposure to lead may also cause behavioral problems in these children. \n\nBehavioral symptoms in children\n\nIrritability or aggressiveness \nHyperactivity, being easily distracted, impulsiveness \nLearning difficulties \nLethargy or less interest in play \nLoss of appetite \nBehavioral symptoms in adults\n\nUnexplained changes in mood or personality \nChanges in sleep patterns \nInability to concentrate \nDecreased sex drive \nMemory loss \nIrritability \nNeurological symptoms (caused by effects of lead on the nervous system)\n\nPoor coordination \nWeakness in hands and feet \nHeadaches \nConvulsions \nParalysis \nComa \nDiagnosing lead poisoning can be difficult because many other conditions cause similar symptoms. \n\nSevere symptoms of acute lead poisoning can include seizures, unconsciousness, paralysis, or swelling in the brain. However, exposure to such a high level of lead is not common. 1 If you experience these symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
292713
Environmental effects\n\nModern mining companies in many countries are required to follow strict environmental and rehabilitation codes, ensuring the area mined is returned to its original state, or an even better environmental state than before mining took place. Past mining methods have had, and methods used in countries with lax environmental regulations continue to have, devastating environmental and public health effects. The result can be unnaturally high concentrations of some chemical elements over a significantly wider area of surface. Combined with the effects of water and the new 'channels' created for water to travel through, collect in, and contact with these chemicals, a situation is created where mass-scale contamination can occur.\n\nEnvironmental issues can also include erosion, formation of sinkholes, dangerous sites such as deep holes in child friendly communities, destruction of the environment, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of groundwaters by chemicals from the mining process and products.\n\nSome examples of environmental problems associated with mining operations are:\n\nAshio Copper Mine, Ashio, Japan was the site of substantial pollution at end of the nineteenth century \nBerkeley Lake, an abandoned pit mine in Butte, Montana that has filled with water which is now acidic and poisonous. \nScouriotissa, a copper mine in Cyprus that has been abandoned. Contaminated dust blows off this site. \nTar Creek, an abandoned mining area in Picher, Oklahoma that is now an Environmental Protection Agency superfund site. Water in the mine has leaked through into local groundwater, contaminating it with metals such as lead and cadmium. \n\nAlthough such issues have been associated with some mining operations in the past, modern mining practices have improved significantly and are subject to close environmental scrutiny.