A return to form for lead?

published 6 December 2005

Lead has quite a past. It was used to build the legendary water systems of ancient Rome (one of the many theories about the decline of Rome is that the middle and upper classes all ended up sick with lead poisoning).

It then became a favourite material for the builders of the cathedrals and castles of Europe and later found its way into glass, paints, pipes, ceramic glazes and bullets.

Finally, in the 20th century, it was the motor car that made the metal: cars are driven by lead acid batteries and, of course, lead has long been added to petrol. However, this illustrious history has done little for lead in recent years. Its toxicity means it has been removed from a variety of products, such as paint, and to a large degree petrol, and few firms have been prepared to invest in mining and smelting it.