Lead is a chemical element in the carbon group. Lead is a soft and malleable metal which is regarded as a heavy metal.
Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed to air. Lead has a shiny chrome-silver luster when it is melted into a liquid.
It is also the heaviest non-radioactive element. Lead can be found in all parts of our environment – the air, the soil, the water, and even inside our homes.
Much of our exposure comes from human activities including the use of fossil fuels including past use of leaded gasoline, some types of industrial facilities, and past use of lead-based paint in homes.
Lead and lead compounds have been used in a wide variety of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, ammunition, and cosmetics.
Lead ores are mined at a rate of more than three million tonnes a year with a market value of around US $1 billion and the world market for refined lead stands at about US $15 billion.
According to the ICSG’s 2013 Statistical Yearbook, world copper mine production rose by 21 % during the 10 year period 2003 - 2012 from 13.8 Mt in 2003 to 16.7 Mt in 2012: copper in concentrates rose by 18 % while SX-EW production rose by 35%. While it has a high economic value, lead is relatively economical to produce.
As with all metals, there are two main production routes. Primary production from mined lead ore is of course the original source of all lead, but secondary production, where it is recovered from recycled products or from residues arising from the production process is of enormous importance.
Secondary lead production now accounts for more than half of all lead produced throughout the world. In the US more than 80% of lead comes from secondary production with Europe reporting over 60%.
These impressive figures are made possible by the fact that most lead is used in readily recyclable applications. And unlike many recycled materials, the value of lead means that recycling is economically viable and hence self-sustainable.