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Lead is still bad for your brain

neurofrontiers.blog

91–100 of 192 posts

Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#91

> “even if we were to completely stop mining for and using lead (which we aren’t, since the lead-acid battery market is projected to increase in the next years” I’m surprised by this. Modern cars (EVs, at least) have started replacing their 12V lead batteries with Li-ion, which are more durable, store much more energy, and of course are less toxic. But in any case, isn’t the one advantage of lead-acid batteries their…

The lead batteries have always be 90%+ recycled (well, at least since any time we should care about). So the amount of mining is still proportional to the amount of batteries running around.

Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#92
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is probably going to put more lead into everything because RFK Jr believes it builds character or something.

His whole thing is about environmental toxins probably being the cause of most of our problems, so no that doesn't seem likely.

Has he specifically included lead in a list of "toxins"? If not, "toxins" is such a vague term that it can include or exclude just about anything.

Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#94

There are people who think it suddenly stopped being bad for your brain? They must be chewing on paint.

The article is more about the fact that the exposure risk hasn’t gone away after banning it in fuel and paint, and that it’s still everywhere and contaminated the soil.

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Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#95

I live with children in a very old house. I would love to be able to measure my children's lead exposure and check things like window paint or house dust for lead content to see how big a problem there is. How do I do that?

As the other commenter mentioned, you can buy at-home testing kits. But what you really want is to hire a lead testing and remediation company. We also live in an old house and we spent a huge amount of time applying "lead block" paint and replacing older windows (disastrous for lead dust because of the friction) and some older pipes. You may also want to test your outdoor soil, because older houses near roads will a…

> You may also want to test your outdoor soil, because older houses near roads will accumulate lead paint in soil due to years of traffic fumes, plus lead dust from the exterior of the house.

You also want to do this if you're going to be growing anything edible in your front or back yard.

Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#97
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is probably going to put more lead into everything because RFK Jr believes it builds character or something.

His whole thing is about environmental toxins probably being the cause of most of our problems, so no that doesn't seem likely.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2025/04/11/cdc-denies-mi...

Yeah, about that.

Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#98
post #3

> If you know there’s lead somewhere in your community, try to get involved and push for programs that limit its removal. Programs that to have it removed? I think. Also what would it be like to go through life knowing you had lead disrupting your brain.

>> Also what would it be like to go through life knowing you had lead disrupting your brain

That's pretty much anyone born before 1980 or so. We breathed it every day and it coated every outdoor surface in every city.

Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#99
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my mind, there's only two acceptable uses of lead: radiation (x-ray, gamma ray) shielding, and ICE batteries. Even then, I expect there's much increased demand for those things (and thus, the lead to manufacture them) from 50 years ago.

Don't scream at me, but what about non-industrial, hobby soldering? AFAIK soldering is not hot enough to vaporize lead.

Soldering contamination mainly comes from ingestion. Touching it, having small particles of lead burn off and land on your skin, then in your mouth (or eyes, elsewhere). Even so, by washing hands and wearing light PPE it’s fine.

Because if that, many people consider the ban of industrial lead solder to be over-zealous. But that ban is in place to stop consumers being contaminated if they somehow touch the board. Also to minimise lead entering the water table once it is discarded.

Re: Lead is still bad for your brain

#100

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I think GP comment was one of expressed emotions, feelings, on the topic. It's not neurotic, though maybe I don't understand the word, rather it's something very human, coming from personal belief. I admit that HN isn't the community to grieve with, but a place of academic curiosity and disciplined discourse, but I personally understand it.
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