[Chemistry] Chemistry of toxic metals. A bit of a rant!
I must state my background in this is highly relevant. I once handled hazardous wastes of all types and I had to be recertified every year. And did so every year for twelve years in a row. Technically my title would include Level 4. Hazardous Materials Specialist One level below response commander.
Yes I was the guy wearing the white suite once. Taking care of all the hazardous wastes that you likely desposed correctly or not. Then properly separated labeled them and created the manifests so they could be shipped without causing further incidents.
I'm as well the same person that had to corridon off areas in case of emergency response. As well as immediately notify authorities in the community.
So much for my qualifications. Because I doubt most will take this as serious.
I came across a post today on this site today that made me cringe at the responses.
Yes I did respond to the initial post. Not to the other comments. The post was about someone's experience as a child playing with a lead fishing sinker. Such lead fishing sinkers are still made today. To date such lead fishing sinks are not considered hazardous waste though.
This is the Federal EPA proposal to consider such lead fishing sinks as hazardous:
https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/tsca-section-21-petition-requesting-epa-regulate-lead-0
What made me cringe was some were placing the level of such lead sinks at the same order as uranium poisoning, by comparing lead fishing sinks it to depleted uranium poisoning.
This is absurd!
Yes lead has a long term poisonous effect. Yet to compare it to depleted uranium isn't a fair comparison. It's depleted uranium. Not radio active uranium.
If you must compare it to something you must compare it to something similar.
Now lead is considered a heavy metal toxin. In long terms yes it is poisonous. I don't recommend anyone to live in a lead based painted houses. Because most live in them for extended periods of time, often with kids, who are the most susceptible to breathe in such poison over a long term.
Yet on the other hand kids, on a every day basis, use pencils. Which still contains lead graphite.
It's not considered hazardous simply because such small quantities are really exposed. And therefore not easily breathed in.
A better example of the toxicity of lead is given by this graphic.
Please notice aluminum on that list as well as lead. It's as well considered a heavy metal toxic. And yes many people use aluminum pots and pans.
Yet to compare lead to depleted uranium would be like to compare it to radon gas which is radioactive. Most people today have no idea that their own houses, with kids, are sitting on such plots of land... untested!
Hope this was educational!
End of rant! 😊
Yes I was the guy wearing the white suite once. Taking care of all the hazardous wastes that you likely desposed correctly or not. Then properly separated labeled them and created the manifests so they could be shipped without causing further incidents.
I'm as well the same person that had to corridon off areas in case of emergency response. As well as immediately notify authorities in the community.
So much for my qualifications. Because I doubt most will take this as serious.
I came across a post today on this site today that made me cringe at the responses.
Yes I did respond to the initial post. Not to the other comments. The post was about someone's experience as a child playing with a lead fishing sinker. Such lead fishing sinkers are still made today. To date such lead fishing sinks are not considered hazardous waste though.
This is the Federal EPA proposal to consider such lead fishing sinks as hazardous:
https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/tsca-section-21-petition-requesting-epa-regulate-lead-0
TSCA Section 21 Petition Requesting EPA to Regulate Lead in Fishing Tackle
What made me cringe was some were placing the level of such lead sinks at the same order as uranium poisoning, by comparing lead fishing sinks it to depleted uranium poisoning.
This is absurd!
Yes lead has a long term poisonous effect. Yet to compare it to depleted uranium isn't a fair comparison. It's depleted uranium. Not radio active uranium.
If you must compare it to something you must compare it to something similar.
Now lead is considered a heavy metal toxin. In long terms yes it is poisonous. I don't recommend anyone to live in a lead based painted houses. Because most live in them for extended periods of time, often with kids, who are the most susceptible to breathe in such poison over a long term.
Yet on the other hand kids, on a every day basis, use pencils. Which still contains lead graphite.
It's not considered hazardous simply because such small quantities are really exposed. And therefore not easily breathed in.
A better example of the toxicity of lead is given by this graphic.
Please notice aluminum on that list as well as lead. It's as well considered a heavy metal toxic. And yes many people use aluminum pots and pans.
Yet to compare lead to depleted uranium would be like to compare it to radon gas which is radioactive. Most people today have no idea that their own houses, with kids, are sitting on such plots of land... untested!
Hope this was educational!
End of rant! 😊
61-69, M
