Lead (Pb)

CAS Number

7439-92-1

Properties

  • heavy metal
  • metallic, as salt or in compounds

Main sources

  • road and air transport (traces of lead in petrol)
  • waste incineration
  • corrosion protection work
  • ammunition containing lead

Thresholds for the reporting requirement of facilities in accordance with Annex 2 PRTRO

(Ordinance on the Register relating to Pollutant Release and the Transfer of Waste and of Pollutants in Waste Water)

  • Air               200 kg/year
  • Water          20 kg/year
  • Soil              20 kg/year

Impacts

  • harms blood formation and is detrimental to children’s development
  • damages plants and animals
  • accumulates in the food chain
  • reduces soil fertility

Ambient limit values

In particulate matter (PM10) 500 ng/m3 annual mean (arithmetic mean)
In dust fall out 100 µg/m2 day annual mean (arithmetic mean)

Measures

  • introduction of unleaded regular petrol (1985)
  • flue gas cleaning system

Status and changes

Since the 1970s, lead emissions have fallen sharply. Concentrations of lead bound to particulate matter have decreased significantly since 1988 at all sites. As a rule, the measured heavy metal loads are way below the limit values of the Ordinance on Air Pollution Control.

Further information

Contact
Last modification 04.07.2018

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