The current lead pollution problem.

IN the past few years, pollution of the environment by lead has received considerable attention and evoked a variety of responses the more extreme of which have been readily accepted for publication in the National Press. The manifold purposes that man has found for the utilization of lead in the past and at the present time have caused its dissemination into the environment which, in some instances, has resulted in undesirable effects. However, in order to determine those situations which require attention, an approach based upon scientific principles is essential. Other considerations of an emotive or political nature can only cause confusion and lead to unsatisfactory resolutions. A great deal of investigatory work has been undertaken in recent times relating to sources of lead in the environment and their effects upon populations. The sources that have received most attention may be categorized as shown in Table 1.