DSpace@MIT

Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2008.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 23-28).Introduction - Lead is a heavy metal that has been in use for over 8000 years (White, 2007). It was first smelted it 4000BC as a byproduct of silver processing. Since then, Pb has played a dynamic role in history, possibly contributing to the fall of the Roman Empire (Nraigu, 1983). Pb is a highly malleable and ductile Group IVa metal. It has been utilized in a variety of products including makeup, water pipes, cooking vessels, wine bottle seals, glass, batteries, solder, electronic components, paint, and antiknock fuel additives (White, 2007). Its prevalent, long-term use has distributed anthropogenic Pb across the planet in soil, air-borne dust, and water (White, 2007). As a result, human exposure can occur via inhaled air, dust, food, and drinking water. Pb has no known biological functions, yet it has numerous detrimental effects on the body, several of which have been recognized for millennia.