Fructose

Pull in to the local gas station and every pump has something in common. "Unleaded" is the new
craze. For nearly six decades, gasoline companies ignored the known dangers associated with
lead to get rich. Tetraethyl lead boosted the octane levels in auto fuel, but there was speculation
surrounding the safety of that decision from Day One. In the Nov. 10, 1924, issue of TIME, a
report showed that 35 men at the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey had come down with an
"occupational disease." Symptoms ranged from insomnia to low blood pressure, all at the hands
of lead poisoning. The EPA completed a full phaseout of lead gasoline in 1986, ending the quest to
trade steady health for steady sales.
Qualms about leaded gasoline began with the environmentalists and health professionals.
Apparently, leaded gasoline was incompatible with catalytic converters installed in many onroad
vehicles being driven. Catalytic converters are devices used to reduce the toxicity levels of
automobile emissions. They are, however, ineffective in the presence of lead due to a chemical
alteration that results from their interaction. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stepped
in quickly to regulate amounts of auto exhaust, leading to the general disapproval of leaded
gasoline use.
Moreover, health professionals determined that consumption of lead products, including leaded
gasoline, correlated with the amount of lead found in the human bloodstream. This can cause lead
poisoning, a condition that primarily causes neurological damage, gastrointestinal discomfort,
and cognitive impairment in children.
3. Lead Paint
Lead paint or lead based paint (LBP) is paint containing lead, a heavy metal, that is used as
pigment, with lead(II) chromate and lead(II) carbonate being the most common. Lead is also
added to paint to speed drying, increase durability, retain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture
that causes corrosion. In some countries lead continues to be added to paint intended for domestic
use whereas in others regulation exists that prohibits this, though lead paint may still be found in
older properties painted prior to the introduction of such regulation e.g. in the U.S. and the U.K.
and Australia. Paint with significant lead content is still used in industry and by the military. For
example, leaded paint is sometimes used to paint roadways and parking lot lines.
Although lead improves paint performance, it is a dangerous substance. It is especially damaging
to children under age six whose bodies are still developing. Lead causes nervous system damage,
stunted growth, and delayed development. It can cause kidney damage and affects every organ
system of the body. It also is dangerous to adults, and can cause reproductive problems for both
men and women.
One myth related to lead-based paint is that the most common cause of poisoning was eating
leaded paint chips. In fact, the most common pathway of childhood lead exposure is through
ingestion of lead dust through normal hand-to-mouth contact during which children swallow lead
dust dislodged from deteriorated paint or leaded dust generated during remodeling or painting.
Lead dust from remodeling or deteriorated paint lands on the floor near where children play and
can be ingested.
4. Asbestos
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