Unravelling the Concerns Surrounding Lead: What You Need to Know
By the author of the Amazon Bestseller Book 'Batteries Demystified', Podcaster, & Expert in Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing Processes and Machines
I want to start this article by introducing the health hazards we all face daily.
Traffic control police officers who diligently perform their duties on the road throughout the day are more susceptible to pollution caused by traffic than industrial workers.
Construction workers face dangers daily, and even young children who grow up on construction sites are regularly exposed to significant risks.
Road accidents claim numerous lives every day. Surprisingly, pedestrians are now more vulnerable to risks than vehicle drivers.
Workers in industries that manufacture cement, fertilizers, cosmetics, glass items, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, paints, forged parts, ceramic products, etc., endure uncomfortable working conditions while handling hazardous materials.
Hospitals, often considered places where the sick receive treatment, expose their staff to various unknown and diverse illnesses daily. Imagine the challenges faced by those working there day in and day out.
Individuals employed in electricity substations, nuclear installations, railways, and similar professions also encounter significant risks as part of their jobs.
Like many others, the battery industry utilizes lead, which is classified as a hazardous material. It is essential to handle any dangerous chemical or situation appropriately. We can effectively deal with them by understanding and addressing hazards and critical conditions.
The following FAQ format aims to inform readers about this and emphasizes that lead used in batteries should not be condemned.
1. Are lead-acid batteries hazardous due to the batteries containing lead metal?
No. The usage of lead-acid batteries is not hazardous in the normal course, though a significant component of a lead-acid battery is lead.
Proper usage with periodic maintenance ensures that the battery is not damaged and that such batteries are safe to use. The terminals must be kept clean to prevent lead sulphate formation by periodic cleaning and Vaseline application. Abusing batteries by short-circuiting can create problems of battery bursting since they contain a lot of stored energy.
If you mean that lead used in batteries is classified as toxic, please understand that batteries are enclosed in a container. The user does not come in contact with the lead unless he breaks open the battery; hence, lead-acid batteries are safe to use.
For this reason, many batteries are used in home inverters, and lead, though classified as hazardous, does not harm the user.
2. Can lead toxicity be attributed to lead-acid batteries?
All reasons for lead toxicity cannot be attributed to lead-acid batteries. The presence of lead in petrol, paints, cosmetics, colorful toys, ayurvedic medicines, pencils, and various other items, including the food we consume, has alarmed multiple agencies and institutions working to reduce lead toxicity. Plumbers used lead, and many water pipelines still exist in certain areas with lead pipes. Most lead pipelines have been dismantled, but a few underground pipes exist. As regards food, the spices like turmeric and chilly powder are at times found to be adulterated and they contain lead. Lead imparts the food color and makes the product attractive. The usage of lead and lead compounds is in quite a variety of products found in and around our homes, including cosmetics, batteries, paint, ceramics, solders, gasoline, lead pipes, and ammunition. India has got unleaded petrol thanks to the efforts of the team led by the Lead Man of India, Dr. Venkatesh Thuppil. He also spearheaded the campaign for lead-safe paints.
3. What are the specific symptoms of lead toxicity due to lead?
Unfortunately, lead toxicity cannot be easily detected due to apparent or specific symptoms. Lead toxicity, however, has deleterious effects on humans, especially women and children.
4. If the symptoms are not obvious, how does the doctor diagnose lead toxicity as the reason to start treatment?
Since the symptoms are not specific, the diagnosis is often missed or delayed. This is unfortunate, but a reality. Some of the symptoms of such patients are
· Severe abdominal pain
The doctors may find such persons
· Anemic
· Having bluish gingival pigmentation at the gum-tooth line
· Jaundiced
· Having hypertension
Additionally, such persons may have neurological features like
· Irritability
· Headache
· Wrist Drop
· Seizures
· Foot Drop
· Encephalopathy
5. Is it possible to determine whether a person has lead toxicity?
Yes, it is possible to detect lead toxicity. Lead can be detected in blood and bones. Detection of lead is usually done by checking the lead in the blood. This test was carried out by only a few laboratories. Lately, kits have been developed that give accurate results quickly, thanks to the pioneering efforts carried out under the guidance of the Lead Man of India, Dr. Venkatesh Thuppil. Quite a few laboratories spread all over India have the facilities to carry out these tests nowadays.
6. What is the test cost to determine lead in Blood?
The cost used to be relatively high, but nowadays, it is possible to determine the ‘lead in blood’ by pathological tests costing between Rs. 800.00 and Rs. 1200.00. Quite a few pathological laboratories do these tests all over India. The tests are done using a test kit that gives fast results, developed under Dr. Venkatesh Thuppil's guidance.
7. Can lead toxicity be treated?
Yes, lead toxicity can be treated. Of course, early detection helps and is highly preferred. Some doctors have specialized in the treatment of lead toxicity due to their interest in the subject, long experience, and extensive study. InSLAR (Indian Society for Lead Awareness and Research) conducts periodic programs for doctors to sensitize them on this subject.
8. What is the line of treatment doctors adopt to treat lead toxicity?
The treatment is Chelation Therapy. It helps accelerate the excretion of lead from the body and reduces body stores of lead. The chelating agent binds with lead and allows it to be passed in urine or feces.
Doctors reportedly use Diuretics, which help remove water from the body. Doctors also use Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Vitamin C helps reduce oxidative stress and scavenge the free radicals generated by lead. Constipation is treated by giving laxatives, and at times, an Enema is administered. Hypertension is monitored continuously and treated as necessary. All these are, however, to be done under expert medical supervision. Please do not consider this as medical advice for self-treatment. Sometimes, hospitalization depends on the extent of treatment and care required and the person's condition. Dr. Surendra Chadha of Patliputra Nursing Home, Sameypur, New Delhi, has treated many patients and has much experience. The treatment continues after discharge in cases where the patient was admitted to the hospital.
9. Is it true that lead used in batteries is classified as an occupational health hazard?
Lead-acid battery manufacturing involves handling, storing, and using lead at all stages. It is, therefore, considered an occupational health hazard, and strict guidelines are imposed on battery manufacturing companies.
10. Can washing hands with regular soap remove lead from the hands?
Hand washing with regular soap does clean the hands to some extent. Detergents are more effective, though. Hence, many factories recommend that workers use strong detergents. However, despite scrubbing and brushing, these do not eradicate the lead.
11. What steps should battery manufacturers take to ensure lead does not affect workers in battery factories?
Battery manufacturers have devised various methods to ensure a clean environment and prevent workers from being affected by lead usage in battery factories. These may not be comprehensive, though. There is always scope for improvement, and more and more ways are devised to ensure lead-free environmental conditions at the workplace.
I am listing a few steps below:
Provision of appropriate masks and insisting on their use
Provision of hand gloves and insisting on their use
Fixing dust collectors at various points where lead dust is generated to ensure that the air purity levels are within the prescribed norms
Ensuring availability and insisting on changing into fresh uniforms for all employees on their arrival for duty
Ensuring that employees have breakfast or adequate snacks before the start of work to ensure that their stomachs are not empty before the start of work
Insisting on cutting nails by providing nail-cutting stations and periodic checking of nail growth
Insisting on a bath, including a head shower, for all employees after work, using the approved soap and shower provided by the factory.
Insisting on hand washing using approved soap before having meals in the canteen, and periodic checking of the washed hands for lead traces using a test spray on a random basis.
Providing a laundromat facility within the factory to ensure employees remove their uniforms for a wash after work shift. Such clothes are washed using special soap that is prepared for lead removal.
Using an industrial wet scrubber or automated sweeper to ensure that floors are not swept manually and lead dust is not made airborne.
12. Are special soaps available that are used by these large companies, approved, and found to be effective?
Yes, these soaps are available for various purposes, such as hand wash, body wash, uniform wash, and respiratory wash. Surfactants & Allied Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. is based in Chennai and provides this soap to established and reputed battery manufacturers. You can contact them by sending an email to sacindia@gmail.com or by calling Mr. Narasimhan at +91 9380670760.
13. What are the effects of lead toxicity?
The effects of acute lead toxicity are either or a combination of the following (combination or any chelator)
• Abdominal pain
• Problems in passing stool
• Pain at joints
• Constipation
• Neuro-related issues
• Lack of appetite
• Sleep disturbances
• Inability to concentrate
• Bone-related issues
• Memory affecting problems
• Effects on fertility and reproduction
14. Why are women usually prohibited from working in battery manufacturing factories?
The possibility of women facing problems in reproduction due to their fertility being affected is the primary reason for women not being permitted to work in battery factories. Moreover, the possibility of children getting affected through these women working in a hazardous environment is another reason for the recommendation that women must not work in battery factories. With the introduction of safe and improved work conditions and periodic health monitoring, a few battery factories have reportedly started incorporating women in some areas of work in the battery factories. Finally, the work environment conditions matter, and a safe environment becomes the deciding factor in such cases.
15. Which area or operation in the lead acid battery industry has the most lead exposure?
Lead smelting, lead alloying, lead oxide manufacturing, red lead powder manufacturing, and certain sections in battery manufacturing factories, like paste mixing, tubular positive plate filling, lug brushing, etc., are a few areas where powder is handled. However, an effective dust collection system and good industry practices ensure the safety of all concerned. Conformance to local regulations and norms specified by the national and state pollution boards helps keep employees safe. Many battery manufacturers implement, enforce, and practice many OSHA suggestions and recommendations in relation to the battery industry to ensure employee safety and well-being.
16. Is there any organization working on this topic in case more details about lead toxicity or treatment are required?
InSLAR, the Indian Society for Lead Awareness and Research, is an organization that conducts conferences, spreads awareness, and thereby trains medical students on various aspects of lead toxicity. The society works closely with industries that need their guidance to address the needs of occupational lead hazards.
In conclusion, it can only be said that every individual must always be aware and exercise due caution, and more so, in hazardous situations, with due care and responsibility.
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