On The Rocks
Lead Minerals
BY BOB JONES
Lead minerals are among the most popular minerals to collect and are some of my favorites. They are a colorful group with many fine crystallized species found in quantity in many productive localities. Most lead minerals are readily available when we mine other metals, with the primary lead sulfide ore galena being common.
DANGEROUS LEAD
Today lead has rightly become an outcast and its uses are limited because of the harmful effects lead has on the human body. As a kid, I used to make lead soldier toys by melting lead water pipes on a small campfire and pouring the molten lead into molds to make the toys. My buddy and I got our lead water pipe by hacking up old pipes from an abandoned barn nearby.
Before plastic, the squeezable medicine and toothpaste tubes were made of lead.
I remember during World War II all used squeeze tubes were saved and recycled for their lead content. Lead is commonly used for bullets and ammunition but can be toxic to birds and wildlife when ingested. Despite its harmful effects lead is still needed. Its ability to absorb radiation is unrivaled.