1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: This episode is brought to you by squares Space. Start 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: building your website today at squarespace dot com and our 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: offered code stuff at checkout and you will get ten 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: percent off Squarespace. Set your website apart. Welcome to you 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Stuff you should know from house Stuffworks dot com. Hey, 6 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark with Charles W. 7 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: Chub Bryant and Jerry's to my right. So this stuff 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:34,520 Speaker 1: you should have. It's right recording in a new pop 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: up restaurant called Jerry's Burrito Check. Yeah, Jerry's eating a 10 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: burrito right now, A frozen one. I guess right. You 11 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: didn't make that from scratch fresh Jerry frozen burrito is 12 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: fine with me, though, yes, some of them. Nothing wrong 13 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: with any frozen burrito ever created. Yeah, I mean there's this. 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: They're very specific, you know. I mean, it's not like 15 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: a fresh burrito, but it's its own thing that's still good. 16 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: This you call it like a re tet or something 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: weird like that. It's something that differentiate it, you know. 18 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: I agree with you, man. Yeah, but man, sometimes when 19 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: that reef read bean pops out and burns your mouth, 20 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: that's just the best you have a hole in your 21 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: in your on your gums for a couple of days. Yeah, 22 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: alfa a little cheese on top too, to cool it 23 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: in the oven. No, to melt on top o. That's 24 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: an antilada then, Uh not really, I think the antilada 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: makes the it's the sauce, right, Yeah, okay, that's what 26 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: I'll say, swimming and saucel, right, antilata sauce. This may 27 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: be your best intro yet, Chuck. We're talking about lead today, 28 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: that's right. Do you know much about UM the Flint, 29 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: Michigan lead poisoning scandal that happened, would say blemish. Yeah. 30 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: I posted about it on our Facebook call UH a 31 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: couple of months ago and sort of was a part 32 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: of a lively discussion there. But UM only from that 33 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: and in this research same here. I mean I was 34 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: aware of it, kind of. I didn't understand the details. 35 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: But for those of you who don't UM, who don't 36 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: know about the Flint, Michigan water poisoning. But Flint, Michigan 37 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: UM has faced a lot of problems since the auto 38 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: industry went away, UM, but one of them wasn't poor 39 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: water quality. They actually the people of Flint actually paid 40 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: I think the highest radar, among the highest rates in 41 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: the country. To get their water, their water was pumped 42 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: from Lake Huron through Detroit, and Flint brought their water 43 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: from Detroit. Get that good, clean Detroit water, right, You 44 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: know you're in a pickle when you're buying water from 45 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: Detroit and that's the healthy water. So um, they're building 46 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: a new pipeline from Lake Huron that goes around Detroit, 47 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: and Flint said, we're going to get in on that action. 48 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: And Detroit said, oh yeah, well, we're canceling our contract 49 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: rather than pay for a short term contract with Detroit. 50 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: The emergency manager, the basically the the emergency mayor appointed 51 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: by the governor himself, UM said, we're just and tap 52 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: into the Flint River. Not not a good idea, as 53 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: it turned out. No, it's not because in Flat Michigan, 54 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: there were, among other places, something called Buick City. Buick 55 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: City was a four plus acre um car manufacturing plant 56 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: that made buicks, and um it really heavily polluted the river, 57 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: so much so that people in Flint, after just a 58 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: few months of drinking this water from the tap, started 59 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: losing their hair. Um. Well, right away they said this 60 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: looks and taste awful, right, it's taste of chlorine. And 61 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: the reason it tasted of chlorine is because there were 62 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: e coal I break outbreaks that they had to like 63 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: treat the water with chlorine. And then it also to 64 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: some people, um, it smelled like sulfury as well. It 65 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: looked terrible. But people started losing hair, started getting rashes. Um. 66 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: There's there was one kid who had an autoimmune disease already. 67 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: He just stopped growing. Um, and it was it was 68 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: bad news. But the people of Flint, the Flint government, 69 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: and the the Michigan Environmental Protection Division basically said no, 70 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: we're following all the laws. Um, everything's fine with the water. 71 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: Just go back to sleep. Flint and Flint did something different. 72 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: A bunch of them taught themselves the science of like 73 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: water and sanitation and um, the drinking water laws. They 74 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 1: became basically citizen scientists, and they took it back to 75 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: the Flint government and the state government and said, you 76 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: guys are wrong. This is toxic water and we're being 77 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 1: poison and you have to do something about it. And 78 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: they finally did well. And I think the issue was 79 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: don't play dumb. We know you know why, why are 80 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: you making us tell you exactly, and they kept the 81 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: apparently the company line was no that here's the science, 82 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: here the here the results of the tests. But the 83 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: tests were terrible. And if you want to know all 84 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: about it, there's a really really great um article on 85 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: five dot com called what went Wrong in Flint and 86 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: um it just really chronicles everything very well. But the 87 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 1: big problem with Flint isn't that there was chlorine in 88 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: the water. It was that there was a bunch of 89 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: lead in the water. And the reason why there's a 90 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: bunch of lead in the waters because there's lead pipes 91 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: going to a lot of houses in Flint and the 92 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: water that was being pumped through those pipes was so 93 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: corrosive that it was bringing a bunch of lead with 94 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: it and poisoning the city of Flints for months. Yeah. 95 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: And the reason people use lead in pipes is because 96 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: it's not corrossive. Corrosive, that's how corrosive the water. Yeah, exactly. 97 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: That really says something. It really does. Uh. And I 98 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: guess we'll look back later and talk about the lawsuits 99 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: and all that stuff. That sound good. Yeah, I think 100 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: that's a great idea, kind of bookend it. But let's 101 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: talk about lead itself, like what's the problem with lead? 102 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: Where did it come from? And that that whole idea 103 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: of um using lead pipes is nothing new either. It's 104 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: actually pretty old, to tell you the truth. Yeah, lead um. Well, 105 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 1: the Romans, of course were the the first to do 106 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: almost everything, either Asians or Romans. Um. Well, I don't 107 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: know Africa. Oh that's true. So basically everybody excepts he said, 108 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: Europe as the migration expanded exactly. And don't forget all 109 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 1: of the innovations going on in Mesoamerica as well. Shout 110 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: out to anyone who came before us. But it's been 111 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: going on since ancient times. Romans using lead as lead 112 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: piping for sewage draining and carrying water, even stored water 113 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: and containers lined with lead. Uh. And in fact, this 114 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: is pretty interesting. I think the English word for plumbing 115 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: and the chemical symbol pb that is lead, comes from 116 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: the Latin word plum bumb. Now a plumb bumb is 117 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: is that plumbers crack? Oh? Nice? If it wasn't it 118 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: is officially now. You know. My friend Eddie he his 119 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: young daughter, asked him what plumber's crack? What's the other day? 120 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: And he said, said what did you tell her? And 121 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 1: he said, well, you know, I told her what it was. 122 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: He said, sometimes plumbers they've bent over a lot because 123 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 1: pipes are below you, and sometimes their pants sag a little. 124 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: Then you see their butt crack. And she went, oh, 125 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 1: the only thing I take issue with is the use 126 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 1: of the words sometimes right all the times. Other than 127 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: that's a great explanation. So the Latin plum bumb, which 128 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: means lead. Yeah, which that that has been mysterious to 129 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,559 Speaker 1: me for many decades. P B doesn't make any sense, 130 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: Like why would they call it p B because peanut 131 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: but head right, and p B is uh. You'll find 132 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: it on the periodic table. And the reason you'll find 133 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: it on the periodic table is because lead is an element, 134 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: a heavy metal um, and it has all sorts of 135 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: properties that make it very desirable, Yeah, really unique to 136 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: although super super toxic, as we'll find. Yeah, it's not 137 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: often you can find something that is super malleable and 138 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: soft but also strong in dense exactly um, which makes 139 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: lead perfect for water pipes because it's also it also 140 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: resists corrosion, like you said, so you can run water 141 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: through it and as long as the water is not 142 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: super bad. Uh. The the lead won't rust. It will 143 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,239 Speaker 1: leach lead into the water, but it still won't rust, 144 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: right right. So um it's also uh, not very good 145 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: at conducting electricity, which makes lead very useful for other 146 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: things like um soldering electrical connections. The electrical connection will 147 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: remain the thing that transmits the current, the lead won't. 148 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: It's pretty awesome. Did you say soldier solder? Solder? Yeah, 149 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: I never heard of pronounce How do you say, solder solder? 150 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,559 Speaker 1: You gotta say that l. I think the silent unless 151 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: it's regional, regional, regional. To my brain, I think solder. 152 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: You said that because you're from Toedo, right. So the 153 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: use of the use of leg goes back even before 154 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: the Romans. Actually, but it first appeared mostly in art 155 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: like lead paint. Yeah, it wasn't like um they described 156 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: in the articles and novelty. Uh. And it was apparently 157 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: it makes colors more vibrant and it's less erosive, which 158 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: is why you still, even in the United States, see 159 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: lead paint on street signs because it's less corrosive. Yeah, 160 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,959 Speaker 1: that's what they say. It's still used on signs supposedly 161 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: up until as recently as the nineties, and it may 162 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: still be going on depending on the country that it's produced. 163 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: In The ink on the outside of a plastic bread 164 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: bag frequently has lead in it, or it used to, 165 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: and it wasn't a problem unless the somebody kept the 166 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: bread bag and turned it inside out to store food in. 167 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: Then that food leached the lead out of the ink. 168 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 1: It was actually like a big problem for a while. Well, 169 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that it is anymore. I couldn't find 170 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: anything in recent the most recent thing I saw saying that, yeah, 171 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: it still happens, right, Well, it's less expensive as a paint, 172 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: which is another reason, uh in the in the colors 173 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: and more vivid apparently. But um, this hasn't been a 174 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: problem in the US for a while, but in China 175 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: they still use a lot of lead head um in paint. 176 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: And in two thousand seven there were massive recalls for 177 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: everything from Dora the Explorer toys to Sesame Street toys 178 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: due to the fact that they had lead pain on them. 179 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: And little kids put everything in their mouths, including their toys, 180 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: because they're big dummies, and they end up eating lead, 181 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: which is a big problem. So there was a massive 182 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: recall of Chinese products in because of this. Now it 183 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: was two thousand seven. What I say seven, Yeah, you're 184 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,959 Speaker 1: harkening back and to the Urban Dance Squad day. Did 185 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: you look them up? Man, you're missing out. I don't 186 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: think that's true. Really, Yeah, why just because I like 187 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,839 Speaker 1: them remember them vaguely? Oh yeah, it wasn't like I've 188 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: never heard of the Urban Dance Squad. No, you have 189 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: a good taste of music. Mental philosph for the Globe, great, 190 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: like a legitimately great album that I'll look it up. 191 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: I'll look it up. It's just weird that you say 192 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,120 Speaker 1: you think you're not missing out. It's for no know, 193 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 1: because I mean, again, I remember Urban Nant Squad for 194 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: some reason. I put them in line with like Spin 195 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: Doctors in three eleven. No, no, well, you know what 196 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,960 Speaker 1: I mean. Three eleven could be slightly compared because they 197 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: were kind of a rock rap group, but they were Dutch. 198 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: Urban Dance Squad was okay, so that that makes them 199 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: cool in here right automatically? Yeah. Uh, but if you 200 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: just picked this up as like, what are they talking 201 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 1: about Enchilada's Urban Dance Squad, um so lead paint in 202 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: the United States is uh, well, it's still an issue. 203 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: In some ways because older houses still have it. But 204 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 1: as of UM nineteen seventy eight they said no more, 205 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: get the light out. That's right, and they define it 206 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: as any paint or surface coating that contains lead equal 207 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: or exceeding one milligram for a square centimeter. Yeah. So 208 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: basically um In said, if you're going to manufacture something 209 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: for somebody's home that people are generally going to come 210 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: in contact with, most people don't come in contact with 211 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: street signs, UM, right, then you can't have lead in it. 212 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,719 Speaker 1: But again, any house built pre there's plenty of them 213 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: out there, very likely has lead paint in it. It 214 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,199 Speaker 1: also probably has lead pipes. Um. And there's a lot 215 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: of lead around us all over the place in places 216 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: you wouldn't even think, like there's lead. And uh, leaded 217 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: glass like really like a glass you like you might 218 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: be using you conceivably could be drinking lead out of it. Oh, 219 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: but you don't drink out of leaded glass. Sure. Yeah, 220 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: they use it to make regular plain old dumb glass 221 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: into more like crystal. It gives it like a ping 222 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 1: when you when you tap it. It makes it, uh, 223 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 1: the the reflection a lot sharper. It also UM lowers 224 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: the melting point. So you know, if you put it 225 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: in the oven, it doesn't like, but it's conceivably bad 226 00:12:57,800 --> 00:12:59,839 Speaker 1: for you. You know, who was on it long but 227 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,680 Speaker 1: for the United States government. Federal government was the city 228 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: of Baltimore. In one they banned lead pigment for interior paint, 229 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: very smart for their housing. And since the fifties had 230 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: kind of been phased out in different parts of the country. 231 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: And then ine, we finally got the Federal Lead Poisoning 232 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:23,959 Speaker 1: Prevention Act, and then it took seven years after that 233 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: to fully ban the paint the paint lead paint. Right. 234 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: There's another big source of lead that was all over 235 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: the place in the twentieth century. Uh, and that was 236 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: in gasoline in cars. There was an additive in gasoline 237 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: that was added to gaso link called tetra ethyl lead, right, yeah, 238 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: you remember that, like, uh, you know, fill it up 239 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: with unleaded or or or fully leaded. And the reason 240 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: that they added lead to gas was because there was 241 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: a problem called knocking right where um, the in a 242 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: high performance engine, when the gas entered the ignition chamber, 243 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: the combustion chamber, it it may just get so amped 244 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,559 Speaker 1: up that it would combust it would ignite before it 245 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: was supposed to, and this would basically disrupt the movement 246 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: of the pistons. Right, they knocked the pain that did 247 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: all sorts of bad stuff. The lead kept the gas 248 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: from combusting or igniting before it was meant to, so 249 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: it was a pretty great additive. The thing is, we 250 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: already knew that lead was not good for you at 251 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: the time, but we added it to gas anyway, and 252 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: it was finally phased out in the seventies. Starting in 253 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: the seventies, I should say, um, because we started adding 254 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: catalytic converters to our cars. Yeah, that helped that, and um, 255 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: just are are the process of the chemical process of 256 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: refining petroleum just advanced, so we no longer needed it. Right, 257 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: So it wasn't just crumby gas. It was pretty good gas. 258 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: It didn't need lead. If you run leading gas through 259 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: catalytic converter, it totally messes it up. And the catalytic 260 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: converters there to prevent emission, so you take lead out 261 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: of gas. The problem we found is that during these 262 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: few decades from like the twenties till actually was the 263 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: last year you could have lead in your gas in 264 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: the United states, Um that during this period, basically all 265 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: the cars on the road were spewing lead, lead vapors 266 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 1: into the atmosphere that would just go into the air 267 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: and then come back into the ground and settle in 268 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: the soil and water and your face. Yeah, I had. 269 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: I used lead of gas in my Um. I had 270 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: to put it in. My early VW Beatles that I 271 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: drove had a couple of old you know, vented well vintage. 272 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: They bought theom new Oh yeah, yeah, my mom she 273 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: bought a sixty eight Beetle brand New. Wow, that's when 274 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: I drove. When I turned sixteen, I think it was 275 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: still around. Huh yeah, yeah, you know those things they 276 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: never die if you take care of them. Did you 277 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: like ever use duct tape or anything like that on? No, 278 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: but I did. Uh. Funny you mentioned I had a hole, 279 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: sizable hole in the rear floorboard. Um that we my 280 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: friends call it the Flintstones car because you could, like 281 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: you put your feet down and run. So I did 282 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: have a board, a running board. Um no, just a 283 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: board over the whole. But I mean you can remove 284 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: the board and run while you're sitting in the backseat. 285 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: That's right. Great car. Yeah, lead has been added to 286 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: cosmetics over the years. Uh, jewelry, jewelry, Uh, pottery, and 287 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: then uh today because everyone knows let is so uh 288 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: such a jerk. One of the only places you're gonna 289 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: find it in the u S at least as in 290 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: your car battery your car, Yeah, your car battery or 291 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: your laptop actually, yeah, which is why it's really important 292 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: to recycle that car battery, don't or that laptop. Don't 293 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: throw it in the woods. Yeah, responsibly recycle your electronics 294 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: and batteries. Yeah. If there's one thing that we've learned 295 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: since the twentieth centuries that lead has some serious staying 296 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: power and it has a very pesky tendency to get 297 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: out of wherever we put it, right, And yeah, if 298 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:08,919 Speaker 1: you put it in just a regular landfill that's not 299 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: designed to accept things like lead, um, it will just 300 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 1: leach into the groundwater and um. Same thing with your 301 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: e waste, your your laptops, and the reason that they're 302 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: used in laptops, um is because the lead actually protects 303 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 1: you from the radiation that would shoot out of your 304 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: laptop screen into your face if it weren't for the 305 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 1: toxic lead in there. That's right. Glass cathode ray tubes 306 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: like you find in your computer laptop screen. Yeah. Well 307 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 1: I don't know about your laptop, but your computer, yeah, 308 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: your monitor. But there's but you should let in there. 309 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: You should responsibly recycle your laptop too, for sure, for 310 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: a number of reasons. I know you did a what 311 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 1: was it called electronics recycling? Yeah? What was it? Like? 312 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 1: Just a thought or I have no idea what you're 313 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: talking about. You did a video series where you like, no, sure, 314 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 1: deep thought. No, I can't even remember I created the series. Yeah, 315 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: but you do one on e recycling. Yeah, but nobody 316 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: cared or watch. So the world was not saved. Everyone said, Chuck, 317 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 1: quit doing it. All right, Well, let's take a break. 318 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go cry tire for man. What was the 319 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 1: name of that series? I don't know. We'll go get 320 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,959 Speaker 1: forties and pour them out on the curb Forum. All right, 321 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:39,959 Speaker 1: we'll be back in a second. All right, Josh, we've 322 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,639 Speaker 1: talked a lot about lead so far and enchiladas in 323 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 1: Dutch rock rack rap rock bands. It comes from the earth, though, 324 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 1: let's let's take it underground. Yeah it's not actually, I mean, 325 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 1: it is naturally occurring, but it doesn't naturally occur in 326 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: its pure form. Yeah, you don't just like dig down. 327 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: You're like, hey, there's a big hunk of lead, let 328 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: me pull it out. Instead, lead atoms have um I 329 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: think four unpaired uh electrons maybe, and it's outer shell um. 330 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: So it likes to form connections with other things. So 331 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: when you find lead in the earth, you're gonna find 332 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 1: it in the form of a ox side or a 333 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: sulfide or something like that. Frequently it's combined with silver, 334 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: and so that means it has to be separated. And 335 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 1: even the Romans back in the day, which by the way, 336 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 1: these Roman um lead pipes that they used for baths 337 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: and for sanitation and stuff still intact today. You can 338 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: still dig those up and beat people with them. You could. 339 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: That's the other place you'll find a lead pipe is 340 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: in the hand of some dude coming after you, or 341 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 1: a game of clue. Oh yeah, that's right. That was bent. 342 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: Even the guy was hit so hard with it, Colonel Mustard, 343 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: he was not to be trusted, he was not. But yes, 344 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:56,919 Speaker 1: the Romans they had a pretty us man. They were 345 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: so smart. They had a pretty ingenious process called coppellation. Uh. 346 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: The extent of that is basically the idea is that 347 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:09,120 Speaker 1: some precious metals, I'm sorry, precious metals. All precious metals 348 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: won't oxidize, but dumb metals will. So if you heat 349 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 1: that junk up, it's going to separate, right. And then 350 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 1: they used it mostly to separate from silver. But these 351 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 1: days we get most of our lead from something called galena, 352 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: where a lead sulfide is found, right. Yeah, And our 353 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 1: process is sort of similar. It is very like using 354 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,360 Speaker 1: heat to separate things. And this this actually it very 355 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: much resembles Do you remember our waste gasification episode. Yeah, 356 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 1: I couldn't remember which one this it was that one, 357 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 1: because the process is very similar. So you take some 358 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: lead sulfide and you heat it up, uh in the air, 359 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: so there's the presence of oxygen and it converts into um, 360 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,880 Speaker 1: lead oxide and sulfur dioxide, right, So you separate them 361 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: out a little bit. Then you take that lead oxide 362 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: and you egg carbon co and you again mix it 363 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: with some air and as that happens, the air combines 364 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: with the oxide into car you know, the carbon combines 365 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: with the air and becomes carbon dioxide. Takes all of 366 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: the um oxygen molecules from the lead atoms. So the lead, 367 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: basically what amounts of pure lead, becomes molten and goes 368 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: down to the bottom of the furnace and carbon dioxide 369 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 1: goes out into the atmosphere. It sounds like a very 370 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: safe process. Basically you're creating molten lead and carbon dioxide. Yeah, 371 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: that's called roasting and smelting. And uh. Once that lead 372 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: sinks cools down, it's gonna it's called a pig It's 373 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,959 Speaker 1: just a big mess of lead basically. Yeah, like pig iron. Yeah, 374 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: it's it's delicious. Uh. And then you have slag, which 375 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:52,199 Speaker 1: is the non metallic byproduct of the smelting process, and 376 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: you siphon and cool that down and it's waste waste product. Yes. Uh. 377 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 1: And like I said, recycling your car battery is important 378 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: because there's also a process called secondary extraction where they 379 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: get that lead out of your battery. You can keep 380 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: using it exactly. That's the other good thing about lead. 381 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: It is extremely reusable because again, it has a lot 382 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: of staying power, so you're not gonna use lead up, 383 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,199 Speaker 1: you know, which means you want to reuse it. Yes, 384 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,239 Speaker 1: we should get to the point where we don't need 385 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 1: to mind any more lead or process anymore lead. Just 386 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: reuse the lead we've got, or maybe find some great 387 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: substitute that isn't so toxic. You know, you melt down 388 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: those tiny civil war figurines. Oh yeah, those guys are 389 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: lead Okay I thought they were. Yeah, So handling and 390 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: painting those with lead paint, it's dangerous, right, yes, yes, 391 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: yes it is. Is that where we're losing so many 392 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: Civil war figurine buffs? I think so at an alarming rate. 393 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 1: That's why they all have like spittle and drool around 394 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: the corners of their mouths and like zone out while 395 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: they're painting. Well, there's other reasons for that, but sure contributes. 396 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: So uh okay, chuck um, you mentioned or we mentioned 397 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: lead refining and processing, smelting, roasting, that kind of stuff, right, Um, 398 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 1: that does create emissions of not just carbon dioxide but 399 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: also um lead vapor, which is not good stuff, and 400 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: you want to control that kind of stuff. But it 401 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: is emitted and it uh it used to be. Well, 402 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: these days, lead emissions um from refining and processing are 403 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: actually the number one source of lead vapor emissions in 404 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: the environment. Right, but um forty yeah, about forty years ago, 405 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: forty five years ago that was not the case. The 406 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,479 Speaker 1: case was all those cars driving around on the streets 407 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: emitting lead vapor. Yeah, used to account for about seventy 408 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: if it came from your automobile. And uh, since the 409 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: phasing out and reversal, we know coming from the processing 410 00:23:55,920 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: and what is it down to, uh road sources, it's 411 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: a fuel combustion. Yeah, not bad, No, not bad. Still again, 412 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: you basically wanted like zero as we're finding, like the 413 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: um as, we'll see that that lead exposure in any 414 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 1: amount is not good and it gets it goes from 415 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: not good to really bad very quickly apparently. Yeah. And 416 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: you know, let us know good. We mentioned kids chewing 417 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: on something with lead pain is not good. If you're 418 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: redoing your house, uh and it's pre nineteen seventy eight, 419 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: you want to get a piece tested. You can't just 420 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: be like, let me sand off, no the paint on 421 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: this molding now, because again, even if you think you've 422 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: cleaned it up, there's still there's lead right there, buddy, 423 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: um that you're not going to get rid of it. Apparently. Also, 424 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:48,639 Speaker 1: opening and closing your windows in a pre nineteen house 425 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 1: can create lead dust if you're lucky enough to be 426 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: able to open your windows. Sure, that's a that's a 427 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: point minor sealed shut yeah, or nailed chatter, what have you. Yeah, 428 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,640 Speaker 1: just from years of painting basically with probably lead paint guaranteed. No, 429 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,480 Speaker 1: it's not. Actually we we had it tested, Oh did you? Yeah? 430 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: I mean it wasn't lead paint, but you had it 431 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 1: tested like all the way through, Like yeah, yeah, yeah, 432 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: But what I'm saying is pre nineteen seventy eight, it's 433 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 1: not the only paint that was used. I know you're 434 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: saying that's why you get it tested, right, But did 435 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: you get like all the layers underneath tested well for 436 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 1: any Yeah? Okay, that was my all the layers sound 437 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: effect like we hired a lead person. I got too. Good. 438 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: Good good. That makes me feel better. Yeah. And if 439 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,920 Speaker 1: you want to if there is lead and you want 440 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: to get the lead out, you're gonna have to hire 441 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: someone that knows what they're doing and they'll come in 442 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: with their has mat suits on to do so. Right. Um, 443 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 1: So you can also get it from plumbing, although apparently, 444 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: um with lead plumbing it's not quite as much of 445 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:51,639 Speaker 1: a thread as you would think. You know, didn't that 446 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 1: make you just want to like never drink water again, 447 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 1: knowing that you have lead pipes in your house, you 448 00:25:55,880 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 1: shouldn't necessarily be worried because um, over the years, water 449 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: sanitation experts have figured out that if you have good 450 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: water that's non corrosive, it actually is not only non corrosive, 451 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 1: the water will leave behind a protective coating that coats 452 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: the inside of the pipes that it runs through. The lead, Yes, 453 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: over whatever it is, but yeah, it's gonna leave a 454 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: protective coat of other substances that aren't toxic that it's 455 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:31,719 Speaker 1: gonna form a barrier for later water and the pipes. UM. 456 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 1: And uh so you you shouldn't necessarily be freaked out 457 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,159 Speaker 1: if you have lead pipes coming to your house. Although 458 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: I mean you've got the money, that's there's definitely worse 459 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 1: things you could spend your money on than replacing those pipes. 460 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: You know copper, Well, copper can be a problem as well. 461 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: There's actually a copper lead rule that UM that dictates 462 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:58,880 Speaker 1: how non corrosive cities water has to be to follow 463 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,679 Speaker 1: this rule, and it's detecting not just against led, but copper. 464 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:03,880 Speaker 1: You don't really want copper either, although it's not nearly 465 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: as bad for you as lead interesting. So if you 466 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: have lead in your system, I mean it goes, it 467 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: goes into your bloodstream. Uh, it doesn't matter how it 468 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,120 Speaker 1: gets in there. If you inhale it, it'll be absorbed 469 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: to the capillaries and the lungs into the blood or 470 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 1: if you uh, if you if you touch it, if 471 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: you lick it, it's gonna find this way into your blood. Uh, 472 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 1: and you can. I mean, it's really easy to find 473 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:28,919 Speaker 1: out if you have lead in your blood. You just 474 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: get a blood test. UM. I don't know why they 475 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,480 Speaker 1: would do this other test. I don't either, and not 476 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,199 Speaker 1: just a blood test unless it's like prohibitably expensive or 477 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: something so that. Yeah, the other test is called the 478 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 1: zinc proto porphyrin um test, and that's a byproduct of 479 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,960 Speaker 1: red blood cells as they break down in the presence 480 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 1: of lead. So rather than directly testing, and it's you're 481 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 1: like going around to see, excuse me, lead, I want 482 00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: to see if your shadow is detectable. I don't get 483 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: it makes zero sense because you gotta take your blood 484 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: for that too, write and it's not exaccurate. Yeah, it 485 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: doesn't make any sense. But the lead blood test is 486 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: so easy that UM companies like three M and plenty 487 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: of others sell home lead blood tests. It's yeah, it 488 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,640 Speaker 1: is nice unless you're the parent who is freaked out 489 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: giving one to your kid. Well, that's true. You know, 490 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: anything over equal to or greater than um five micrograms 491 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:31,639 Speaker 1: per DESSI leader is bad if you're a kid. If 492 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: you're an adult, you can tolerate a little bit more, 493 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: but it's still distressing, right, And that's how it's expressed. So, 494 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: um a microgram to a DESI leader, which is a 495 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 1: tenth of a leader, right, Um, And so five is 496 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: not good. Ten micrograms in a desk a leader is 497 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: where demonstrable UM like behavioral and cognitive problems start to develop. Yeah, 498 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: that's serious trouble. But the e p A has said, 499 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: um that there's quote no demons traded safe concentration of 500 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: lead in blood, like you shouldn't have any in The 501 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: problem is nothing but toxic to humans. There is no benefit. Yeah, 502 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: and um, we'll talk about it in just a second. 503 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 1: But the problem with lead is that we're figuring out 504 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: that we shouldn't be exposed to it at all, while 505 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 1: we're also simultaneously figuring out that we have a washed 506 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,040 Speaker 1: our planet in it from the last like a couple 507 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: of hundred years. Basically, you wanna take a break. Yeah, 508 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: all right, we'll come back and we'll talk about all 509 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: kinds of fun stuff, all right. So before I left, 510 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: I t s that there is no function for lead 511 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: in the body. It is nothing but toxic, uh in it. 512 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: The way it behaves in your body in a negative 513 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: way is really interesting. UM your body, and this happens 514 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: a lot. I feel like we covered the body mistaking 515 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:10,479 Speaker 1: something for something else quite a bit. Is there there 516 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: should be a word for that, uh, the case of 517 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: mistaken identity. I guess that's it. But the body treats 518 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: lead like calcium. UM. So it's gonna go where calcium 519 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: goes in the body, including your bones, which is super scary. Yeah. 520 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 1: Lead settles in very comfortably into calcium receptors, and it's 521 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: not just bones, Like that's what I always think of 522 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: when I think of calcium, Like what you need calcium 523 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: because your bones will break or you get rickets if 524 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: you don't have it or whatever. Um, But calcium comes 525 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: in handy throughout your whole body. And one of the 526 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:44,480 Speaker 1: big places that shows up is in calcium ions in UM. 527 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: Your neuronal activity. Right. So when your neurons fire, one 528 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: of the ways that they fire, uh, is because the 529 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,520 Speaker 1: neurons or the calcium ions get them all excited and 530 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: then poo, your your neurons is fired. If lead is 531 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: in that calcium ion channel instead of calcium, that kaboo 532 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: doesn't happen, and all of a sudden, your neurons aren't 533 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: firing as much as they would if the lead wasn't present. 534 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: And now we have a big problem. Yeah, and it's 535 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: especially big problem with children because children's little brains are uh, 536 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: you know, we talked about plasticity before. They're constantly forming 537 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 1: these new neural connections and any kind of lead in 538 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: the mistaken for calcium is going to disrupt those connections. 539 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: And so your child is literally their brain isn't going 540 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: to advance like it should, right exactly. Intellectually, Um, the 541 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 1: apparently emotional centers like the amygdala can suffer UM that 542 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: it's been found to produce hyperactivity, anti social behavior, UM, 543 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:49,320 Speaker 1: attention deficit disorder, all sorts of problems from the presence 544 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 1: of lead, right. Um. And like you said, it's worse 545 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 1: for kids because their brains are still developing and forming 546 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: it's bad for anybody, but it's definitely worse for kids. 547 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: And the other way that it affects kids is that 548 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,479 Speaker 1: so the regions of their brains aren't developing correctly. But 549 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: then simultaneously, calcium is also important in the formation of myelin, 550 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: which is that protective sheath around the synapses between neurons. 551 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 1: So that's kind of like flimsy, which means that the 552 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,959 Speaker 1: neurons aren't firing efficiently. So not only do you have 553 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: brain regions affected, but the communication between brain regions are 554 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: affected too in little kids. And the upshot is is 555 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: that it promotes all sorts of problems with cognitive and 556 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: emotional and behavioral development and children. Yeah, and like literally 557 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: lower i Q scores. And we should say that that's 558 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 1: just like the most prominent horrifying effect of lead. There's 559 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: a whole laundry list of other things that can happen to, 560 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: like um kidney failure, pain in your bones and joints 561 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 1: from all that lead settling into where the calcium is 562 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: supposed to go. Yeah, how about decreased sex drive and 563 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: sterility and infertility for both men and women. Uh, what else? Diarrhea, 564 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: lack of appetite, constipation. I think diarrhea is the least 565 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 1: of your worries. If you have a lad blood, high 566 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: blood pressure, enlarged heart. Uh, it's it's It affects virtually 567 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: every system in your body basically. And the reason why 568 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: again is because it mimics or it takes the place 569 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: of calcium, and calcium is incredibly vital. It's an extremely 570 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: important mineral that you need found throughout your body. And 571 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: if a leg goes in, it's like, um, I'm here instead. Yeah, 572 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: it's not going to do the stuff that the calcium 573 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: supposed to do, leading to all this cascade of horrific problems. Yeah. 574 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: And one of the other scary things is that they 575 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: unless you have acute lead poisoning, you may not know. 576 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: In fact, you probably won't know that you're being slowly poisoned. 577 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: And you might just think, oh, I have diarrhea and 578 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 1: I don't feel like having sex much anymore, and you 579 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: might be slowly getting lead poisoning, and you you just 580 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: blame that on too many buffalo wings. But boom, it's 581 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: lead poison takes care of both. Uh. You remember being 582 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: a kid and like lead pencils, like it was a 583 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: big scare, Like you know you lead poisoning if you 584 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: got poked with a pencil. Yeah, I remember that, But 585 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: then I also remember learning that there's actually graphite used 586 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,279 Speaker 1: in pencils. We should have a buy our age. You 587 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 1: should have David Reeson. Oh yeah, how to sharpen a 588 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,759 Speaker 1: pencil and he can school you on some pencils. He 589 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:15,799 Speaker 1: wrote a whole book on it, literally wrote the book 590 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,719 Speaker 1: on pencil sharpening. Yeah. I still have let or I guess, 591 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: graphite somewhere in my hand from when I was jabbed 592 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 1: very deep with a pencil that broke off and it 593 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 1: never left and there still just looks like a little 594 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 1: black freckle. It's like you're in prison and got shanked. 595 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 1: I know, I can't find where it is. No, that's 596 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:41,280 Speaker 1: a scratch. So we've talked about all the cognitive problems 597 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: that can come about and behavioral and emotional disorders that 598 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 1: can develop from lead. And this is like study after 599 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:50,400 Speaker 1: study after study has found this. It's one of the 600 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:52,760 Speaker 1: big reasons why there have been so many restrictions placed 601 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:59,439 Speaker 1: on lead exposure. Um And recently some people have some 602 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 1: research chers, including a couple of well an economist I believe, 603 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: and an epidemiologist have UM kind of taken that idea 604 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:12,359 Speaker 1: that lead can create all of these behavioral problems and 605 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 1: any social behavioral problems UM and extrapolated to this idea 606 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,879 Speaker 1: that there is a big rise in the crime rate 607 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: in the United States and actually around the world. That 608 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:29,359 Speaker 1: followed about twenty years UM the same trajectory of the 609 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:35,720 Speaker 1: use of lead and gasoline. Super interesting article, very controversial, 610 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:40,800 Speaker 1: like when it came well it still is, UM, but yeah, 611 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: it's very interesting. Yeah, it's called lead America's Real Criminal Element. 612 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 1: It was in Mother Jones. Was written by Kevin Drum, 613 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 1: who was one of the all time greats working today. 614 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,879 Speaker 1: And UM, I think I've mentioned it before, but I 615 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: strongly encourage anybody it doesn't even matter if lads the 616 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: most boring thing in the world to you go read 617 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:02,279 Speaker 1: this article. You will be riveted by it. And Kevin 618 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: Drum does a lot of He does a very good 619 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:10,360 Speaker 1: job of keeping his extrapolations down as low as possible, 620 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 1: although anybody can see by the evidence that he lays 621 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,239 Speaker 1: out that this is it's pretty clear that lead is 622 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: some sort of culprit in this UM and it's been 623 00:36:20,239 --> 00:36:24,520 Speaker 1: shot down and that there's this idea that the science 624 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:28,440 Speaker 1: isn't settled. I suspect that it's the same mechanisms that 625 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: force with climate denial. Like unsettled science doesn't prove anything. 626 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:37,239 Speaker 1: If you look at all the studies associated with this, 627 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,680 Speaker 1: the correlation between lead use in gasoline and therefore lad 628 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:47,840 Speaker 1: emissions in UM cars and criminal activity and its decline again, 629 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:50,920 Speaker 1: it just follows it like twenty years after. And the 630 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,839 Speaker 1: whole idea is that when we started emitting lead into 631 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:59,279 Speaker 1: the atmosphere, UM, kids started suffering these cognitive and in 632 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: associal but avirs. And then about twenty years after these 633 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: kids were born, they started actually carrying out criminal activity, 634 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,400 Speaker 1: and we saw a tremendous rise and everything from like 635 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 1: murder to rape, to mugging's to everything. UM. And it's 636 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:15,720 Speaker 1: the articles too long to to really go into detail. Again, 637 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: just strongly urge anybody to go read it. Yeah. The 638 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:22,800 Speaker 1: the um the backlash that I've seen on the article 639 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:26,959 Speaker 1: wasn't to me like it was all from scientists mainly. Yeah, 640 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:28,959 Speaker 1: I read a few of them. They weren't poopooing the notion. 641 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 1: They said this what this means is it bears a 642 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 1: lot more investigation. UM. But as much as you want 643 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,800 Speaker 1: if you can't replicate it. It's still possible confirmation bias 644 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,040 Speaker 1: or just sure correlation and not causation, like could be 645 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 1: a host of other issues that went into that. It 646 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:46,719 Speaker 1: could be And and Kevin Joon makes the same point. 647 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: He's like, there's also a rise in the use of 648 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 1: vinyl albums that followed roughly the same trajectory as well. 649 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 1: But um, you know, of course it needs more study 650 00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: for sure. Well this this one scientist said, what you 651 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:02,239 Speaker 1: really need to do is follow what he calls a 652 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 1: cohort study, when you actually follow individuals along a long timeline. Um, 653 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: it's just a tough study. It's it bears a lot 654 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:18,120 Speaker 1: of uh to prove something like this just takes a 655 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:22,879 Speaker 1: lot more data than they have, right, And I think 656 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:26,759 Speaker 1: the guy you're referencing is Scott Firestone, who is, um, yeah, 657 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,320 Speaker 1: that was a good who wrote on the Discover magazine 658 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:32,920 Speaker 1: blog and um, you know he gives kudos to Drum 659 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: who definitely deserves it for basically saying every time he says, 660 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's it's so obvious you have to 661 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:43,839 Speaker 1: be just you know, have your head in the stand 662 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 1: to deny this. He does say that, yes, speaking scientifically 663 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:51,239 Speaker 1: that does require more study. Super interesting though, because the 664 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: crime and drum followed it all over the world. He 665 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 1: didn't just go to the United States and he saw 666 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: the same thing and Canada and Australia, in Great Britain. 667 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,400 Speaker 1: And the good news is if if that is the case, 668 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:08,240 Speaker 1: then we should see crime dropping. Yeah. But the problem 669 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 1: is is that it also should get us to do 670 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:15,880 Speaker 1: basically mitigate the lead that isn't around, like in the 671 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:19,640 Speaker 1: soil and in the water and everywhere and people's houses. Um. 672 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 1: And the dollar amounts that he estimates it would cost 673 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 1: are pretty prohibitive at least as far as like the 674 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,879 Speaker 1: public will goes from right now. But who knows. I mean, 675 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:33,080 Speaker 1: if enough science is done on it, and you get 676 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 1: the scientific community vocally speaking about this, then maybe the 677 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:40,280 Speaker 1: public will will change. Uh. If you do have lead poisoning, 678 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:43,760 Speaker 1: you can't get on meds. Uh. There's a prescription called 679 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 1: sustamer as U S C I M E R. That 680 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,799 Speaker 1: was beautiful. Uh you see that or sucker over I 681 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:53,879 Speaker 1: like how you said, Um, it can reduce blood lead. Um. 682 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,319 Speaker 1: There of course always side effects with every medication. UM. 683 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,640 Speaker 1: And if you work, if you've like there's been a 684 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 1: disaster and you get toxic lead in your body very quickly. UM, 685 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 1: they can use something called kellation collation collection therapy. UH. 686 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:15,840 Speaker 1: And that's when they use a collating agent. I'm not 687 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:20,520 Speaker 1: even gonna try that. I'm gonna try it. Okay, Ethyl 688 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 1: lenna diamina tetracetic acid. Hey, not bad if you like 689 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 1: super quick. I missed the last A. That's just a 690 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 1: few letters off from super califragilistic xbomy. It looks like 691 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 1: the alphabet when it's on paper, but we'll call it 692 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,439 Speaker 1: E E T A. And that's when it's infused into 693 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: the bloodstream and actually binds. It basically says lead you're 694 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 1: coming with me through your kidney, out of your body, right. UM. 695 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:53,480 Speaker 1: But they use that when it's just an acute toxic dose. UM, 696 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 1: that that a person has been exposed to. UM. If 697 00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,120 Speaker 1: a kid's been found to be poisoned with lead, actually, 698 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 1: from what I read, one of the best treatments that UM, 699 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 1: they'll they'll carry out. They'll they'll be other stuff too, 700 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:08,760 Speaker 1: depending on how bad it is. But a really good 701 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: nutritious diet. UM, getting the kid foods that are high 702 00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 1: and things like calcium and high in things like vitamin 703 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 1: C that help the body absorb calcium so that they 704 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:22,399 Speaker 1: can go displace lead in the body. Because if you've 705 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:24,799 Speaker 1: got lead and you've got calcium fighting for the for 706 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:27,359 Speaker 1: the same place, if you can get the calcium in there, 707 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,520 Speaker 1: it's going to displace the lead and then hopefully leave 708 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: the body. It's like, I'm going home. That's gotta be 709 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:36,399 Speaker 1: hard on the kidney. So I don't know. I yeah, 710 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:38,880 Speaker 1: I think if you have an acute lead poisoning or 711 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 1: a serious lead poisoning, it's not good. But yeah, of 712 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:43,360 Speaker 1: course it'd be hard on the kidneys because one of 713 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:47,920 Speaker 1: the things is kidney failure in anemia. Uh it. Lead 714 00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:51,880 Speaker 1: is um Lead is definitely invariably in the ground and 715 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:55,440 Speaker 1: the groundwater and then the soil um around us. And 716 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:58,719 Speaker 1: that's a problem because it's sort of works this way 717 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: up the food chain and a weird way because what 718 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:05,520 Speaker 1: you have are these tiny organisms um it gets in 719 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 1: their body, like plankton and microscopic plants, and they die 720 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: and then other things eat that their waste, and then 721 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,000 Speaker 1: it just sort of like bigger animals come along and 722 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 1: keep eating these things. Yeah, it's not just humans that 723 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:24,880 Speaker 1: suffer from lead toxicity. Other animals too, even the small ones. 724 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:28,080 Speaker 1: So should we talk about these Flint lawsuits a little? Yeah, 725 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:33,640 Speaker 1: and then antilotis and that hopefully toxic. I guess it 726 00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:36,680 Speaker 1: depends on who manufactured. So I did some reading on 727 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:39,480 Speaker 1: the lawsuits. Right now, there's more than a dozen and 728 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:42,920 Speaker 1: probably growing. A few of them are class action suits 729 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: on behalf of tens of thousands of Flint residents. And 730 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:48,600 Speaker 1: you know, attorneys always look their chops when they hear 731 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 1: stuff like this. UM. But there's some concerns. One is 732 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:55,800 Speaker 1: that the state of Michigan is, like the city is broke, 733 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:59,480 Speaker 1: so don't even bother the state of Michigan. Maybe an 734 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,279 Speaker 1: out to go if you want to get a lot 735 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:03,359 Speaker 1: of money, but then they say that will just get 736 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:07,640 Speaker 1: packs pass along to the taxpayer. UM. And a lot 737 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:11,319 Speaker 1: of experts in the legal world say that compensation is 738 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:15,360 Speaker 1: unlikely to begin with as far as money goes, because 739 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:18,520 Speaker 1: of something a couple of things. One thing called sovereign immunity, 740 00:43:18,719 --> 00:43:21,120 Speaker 1: which basically means the government can say, you know, giving 741 00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 1: water to the citizens is a core government function, so 742 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:29,560 Speaker 1: we're shielded legally from liability for doing that, uh improperly, 743 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:31,600 Speaker 1: So like you can't sue us we're trying to give 744 00:43:31,640 --> 00:43:34,680 Speaker 1: you water. And the other thing is specific causation has 745 00:43:34,719 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 1: to be proved. So not only do you have to 746 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:40,600 Speaker 1: prove that the lead came from that water and not 747 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:43,200 Speaker 1: like the lead pipes in your house or other like 748 00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:46,359 Speaker 1: the lead paint in your walls maybe has to come 749 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 1: specifically from that Flint River water. Uh, And you also 750 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:53,040 Speaker 1: have to prove that that directly lead to the problem 751 00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:56,359 Speaker 1: that your kid is having, and not you know other things. Well, 752 00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:59,759 Speaker 1: one of the things I read was that it's very 753 00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:03,120 Speaker 1: possible that the lead came from the pipes in those 754 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:06,880 Speaker 1: people's houses, but that it's still on the provider of 755 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:11,040 Speaker 1: the water because they were supposed to be following corrosion 756 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:15,719 Speaker 1: protection techniques that they lied about following. They weren't following them, 757 00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:18,239 Speaker 1: so it got rid of that protective coating that had 758 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,960 Speaker 1: been on the lead pipes before and was bringing all 759 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:23,680 Speaker 1: that lead into people's homes directly. So it may have 760 00:44:23,719 --> 00:44:25,960 Speaker 1: been lead from the people's homes, but it was the 761 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:29,040 Speaker 1: corrosive nature of the terrible drinking water that was being 762 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,840 Speaker 1: pumped through those that caused that lead to be brought 763 00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 1: into the people's homes. And then again on top of it. 764 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:38,359 Speaker 1: The government was lying about using the techniques that they 765 00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:40,600 Speaker 1: were supposed to be using to prevent that from happening. 766 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:44,680 Speaker 1: So that now that they've switched back over to Detroit water, 767 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:47,439 Speaker 1: it's going to take a while for that protective film 768 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:50,080 Speaker 1: to develop on the pipes again. So even now that 769 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:53,680 Speaker 1: the different waters coming through, it's still lousy with lead. 770 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:55,720 Speaker 1: And the sad thing is that some people in Flint 771 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:59,520 Speaker 1: are too um poor to do anything about it, and 772 00:44:59,600 --> 00:45:02,400 Speaker 1: they's still need water, so they're still drinking leaded water 773 00:45:02,480 --> 00:45:04,799 Speaker 1: even though they know that it's going to hurt them 774 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:07,200 Speaker 1: down the line. Well, and it's sad that it sounds 775 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:12,880 Speaker 1: like getting real compensation is maybe unlikely. Yeah, because a 776 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,799 Speaker 1: lot of these people who have kids, like if their 777 00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:21,120 Speaker 1: kids suffer severe cognitive development problems, they're gonna need help 778 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:25,360 Speaker 1: like the rest of their lives. Yeah. This one guy, uh, 779 00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:29,239 Speaker 1: he's a law professor specializing in environmental law named Noah Hall. 780 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:31,799 Speaker 1: He says, what the probably the smart thing to do 781 00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:33,359 Speaker 1: if you really want to help these people is set 782 00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:36,600 Speaker 1: up do what they did with the Deepwater Horizon spill 783 00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:40,480 Speaker 1: and set up a victim's compensation fund um instead of 784 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:47,320 Speaker 1: doing it via lawsuit like legislator legislated, Um, maybe that 785 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:49,560 Speaker 1: would help. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know that. 786 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:51,799 Speaker 1: He basically said what the states shouldn't do his fight this, 787 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:55,040 Speaker 1: He's like, that would be big trouble. Uh. He said 788 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,319 Speaker 1: they should set up some sort of fund so then 789 00:45:57,360 --> 00:45:59,319 Speaker 1: they look like the good guys still. But then I 790 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:01,400 Speaker 1: think you don't get all the dirty details dragged out 791 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:03,960 Speaker 1: in public like you would with a lass. Well, apparently 792 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:06,759 Speaker 1: they're already coming out anyway, like tropes of emails have 793 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:10,920 Speaker 1: been released. Um. The the governor set up a task 794 00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:12,799 Speaker 1: force to find out who is to blame. And they 795 00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:16,399 Speaker 1: turned around and they were like you um, and he said, 796 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:20,319 Speaker 1: fired the task for right exactly, You're all fired. Um. Yeah, 797 00:46:20,360 --> 00:46:22,160 Speaker 1: I don't know what's gonna happen, but it's it's very 798 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:25,760 Speaker 1: scary public health scare Flint, Uh, I know, talk about 799 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:29,600 Speaker 1: a city it's been roughed up over the years. I know. Well, 800 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:32,759 Speaker 1: we're there with you, Flint, hanging there. If you want 801 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:37,200 Speaker 1: to learn more about lead or Flint or criminal activity, 802 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:40,880 Speaker 1: you can check out all these different articles on the 803 00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:43,120 Speaker 1: Internet and you can type lead into the search bar 804 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:44,759 Speaker 1: house to works dot com and it'll bring up a 805 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:47,920 Speaker 1: pretty great article. Since I said pretty great articles, time 806 00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:54,120 Speaker 1: for a listener, I'm gonna call this Finland rules. Remember 807 00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:56,200 Speaker 1: we did the Dark Money podcast and I was like, 808 00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:59,560 Speaker 1: what's a good place. It's not corrupt. I remember we 809 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:02,960 Speaker 1: heard from a lot of people. Um in Scandinavia. Hi, 810 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 1: I'm an American living in Helsinki for the last few 811 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:07,880 Speaker 1: years with my finished husband. Um, Chuck, you were right 812 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:09,920 Speaker 1: on the money when he said there's very little political 813 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,120 Speaker 1: corruption here. Of course there are some, but because there 814 00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:14,960 Speaker 1: are humans after all, But the level compared to the 815 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:17,520 Speaker 1: States is laughable. When I asked my husband about it, 816 00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 1: he thought for a second and asked about corruption scandals. 817 00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:22,719 Speaker 1: He said, a few years back, Uh, there was something 818 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:25,520 Speaker 1: about a prime minister who accepted lumber from a company 819 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:28,960 Speaker 1: to build his house. That was it. It seems comical 820 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:31,800 Speaker 1: to me considering the States in an election year. Also, 821 00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:33,680 Speaker 1: the campaign season is much shorter here, and it's done 822 00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:37,000 Speaker 1: a little different. Party runs there at least five major parties. 823 00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:41,240 Speaker 1: That's crazy in and of itself, like crazy, good party 824 00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:43,960 Speaker 1: runs and whichever gets a majority elects from its ranks 825 00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:46,480 Speaker 1: the prime minister and makes a cabinet out of a 826 00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:50,400 Speaker 1: coalition of the other parties which received high numbers of votes. 827 00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:53,960 Speaker 1: How about that, Like you came in second, you're on 828 00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 1: board too, Come on and here's your participant. Ribbon campaigns 829 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:03,040 Speaker 1: are paid for by disclosed donations and public funds. Uh. 830 00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:05,000 Speaker 1: You also made a comment about the high taxes here. 831 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:09,560 Speaker 1: Many people, usually Americans, say that with this taste, that 832 00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 1: the taxes are so high here. But I've come to 833 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:13,959 Speaker 1: think very highly of it. I've discovered that I don't 834 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:16,120 Speaker 1: really need another pair of jeans or a new jacket, 835 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:19,160 Speaker 1: but I need there's an educated society around me, in 836 00:48:19,200 --> 00:48:22,200 Speaker 1: access to quality healthcare, and a truly equal society where 837 00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:26,320 Speaker 1: everyone is safe and has her basic needs met. Uh. 838 00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:30,239 Speaker 1: That it's from Gabrielle. Wow, a lot of people hate 839 00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:33,360 Speaker 1: your guts for saying that. Gabrielle, that was so brave 840 00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:38,759 Speaker 1: of you. Thanks Gabrielle for writing in. Um, I don't 841 00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:42,400 Speaker 1: know how they say audios in Finland. No, she's American. 842 00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:46,360 Speaker 1: Well goodbye, Okay, thank you for writing in. If you 843 00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:48,280 Speaker 1: want to get in touch with us, you can tweak 844 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:50,319 Speaker 1: to us at s Y s K podcast. You can 845 00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:52,480 Speaker 1: join us on Facebook dot com slash stuff you should 846 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:54,400 Speaker 1: know if you can send us an email to stuff 847 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:57,480 Speaker 1: podcast that how stuff Works dot Com and has always 848 00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:00,319 Speaker 1: join us on the web. It's stuff You You Know 849 00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:08,360 Speaker 1: dot com. For more on this and thousands of other topics, 850 00:49:08,520 --> 00:49:15,360 Speaker 1: visit how stuff Works dot com. M