LA Business Daily
How is lead getting into various consumer products?
I understand lead to be a naturally-occurring metal found in the earth. What are some of the uses for it in industry and consumer products and how does lead arrive in products that shouldn't contain lead, ie lipstick?
Public Comments
- Lead is a binding agent. it helps hold things together.
- Alot of this stuff comes from China. China doesn't have regulations we do. I think they're out to kill all of us!
- through paint and packing materials
- Now that a lot of companies are having Chinese companies making out products there is the problem. They don't have the same standards as we do. I would think that lead is a cheap chemical that they can substitute for other non lead products. But Hey that is just my nickels worth of knowledge
- Hey there, I was surprised when I read this. Only one reason" My husband has been sick for 9 months problem to do with his blood. Anyway my attention was drawn to your question as it was the same statement made my his Dr. Have you been exposed to Lead. Our answer was no. Maybe we need to look into this further. :-)
- Lead has been commonly used because it is widespread, easy to extract and easy to work with.
- Because some evil Chinese people are breaking off the points of their old school pencils in everything they send over here, to try to kill us all. Old school means that they still do not use graphite in there ancient and brutal system of writing and and drawing poorly.
- Lead is used in the manufacturing of allot of things, it's also used to make molds for products. Like sand molds are used in foundryis for pouring hot liquid iron to make a casting, lead is used as a mold in making plastic containers and parts. Because lead is a soft metal after time it will wear and pieces may rub off or even break off and get into product. But most of these factories use large magnets at the end stages of packaging to ensure no mettalic materials have made it into the product. It's hard to say how it ended up in lipstick but I am sure that it has something to do with either the molding of the plastic base or in the production line while the lipstick is being heated and poured it possible that a piece of lead from an overhead pipe or hanger or something might have broken off and ended up in the molten lipstick material. You are seeing allot of China toys being recalled becase of lead, the reason for this is that lead is a much cheaper material to use for molds and in place of other metal products that don't require it to carry a load. Lead is also used in paints overseas, where here in the US leaded paint has been reduced to only paint materials that are used by professional and only in paint products that wouldn't naturally come in contact with food, water or physical contact. Some older building in the US including houses may still have lead on the roof for flashing around vents or chimneys, and in sewer lines where they leaded joints of steel pipe together. Even though lead is a natural forming metal it's not usually found in your back yard, however it may be found deep in the ground while drilling wells for water. Best Regards!
