home test for lead

Bohrok

Reminds me of a lab in chemistry where we were supposed to put our solutions with metals (small chunks of them!) in a container and we were told not to put them down the sink. Since the teacher didn't put out a container till I asked him where to put the stuff at the end of the lab (and I was the last one), everyone else had forgotten or didn't bother, and put them down the sink...

mrjeffy321

Lead in its solid, elemental, form can be slowly absorbed into your body by touch. Minor contact with it here and there is generally no big deal by itself. But it accumulates in your body over time and might eventually reach dangerous levels from chronic exposure.

Although absorption of solid lead into the body is relatively slow, water-soluble lead salts on the other hand are much more readily absorbed and pose a much greater danger. It is best to only generate and use lead salts in moderation and it dispose of them through the proper channels. Many cities have an environmental-waster disposal facilities where people can bring them their waste (such as lead paint, motor oil, …., other nasty stuff that should not end up in landfills or down the drain) and they will dispose of it for you for free. This would be the preferred way for an individual to dispose of lead waste.

Lead shavings also pose a greater risk compared with just a large solid lump of lead metal since there exists the possibility of breathing in some of the smaller flakes or accidentally ingesting them. So one might be wise to wear a mask and wash one’s hands thoroughly while / after handling fine flakes of lead.

chemisttree

He still hasn't determined if his lump of metal fogs unexposed film.....

It could be worse, y'know.

Dadface

I think it's kryptonite.

Borek

Nah, IIRC kryptonite was green.

DaveC426913

That depends. What colour are the Frogstar Fighters in your universe?

DaveC426913

OK, radioactivity: zero.

I would not have been amused to find out that I've been storing a lump of Plutonium on my office shelf....

pzona

Well the good news is since it's not radioactive, it has to be one of the first 82 elements, so lead is still a possibility. Also, you don't have to worry about pesky radiation messing with your cells :)

Borek

Unfounded speculation.

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DaveC426913

How so? It could be a higher element yet not be radioactive?



Why is your sig part of the body of your message?

chemisttree

Perhaps he is referring to Bismuth (atomic # 83).

turbo

Thorium 232 has a half-life of over 14Gy, so you might not be able to detect much radioactivity. Chances of you having a decent-sized chunk of it hanging around your house are pretty slim, though.

chemisttree

Same is true for Bismuth 209. Half life something like 2 X 10¹⁹ years.

pzona

Let me rephrase. Since it's not radioactive, it is most likely one of the first 82 elements. I understand that some higher elements could fall into this category (for example, bismuth-209, as was said), but how often do these elements present themselves in such large quantities in everyday life?

Borek

Unless it is technetium

pzona

Geez Borek, you and your exceptions :p

Borek

They are not mine, they are around

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