What's the Point of this whole "Lead-Free" Thing?

As more and more electronics are sold throughout the world and the life span of these products gets shorter and shorter, there is an ever-increasing amount of hazardous substances being built up in the environment at an exponential rate. It's only going to get harder to deal with in the future so let's get behind the "Lead-Free" Revolution now so our children and their grandchildren can enjoy their DVD Players, MP3 Players, Toasters Cell Phones and other electronics in a cleaner world and without the fear of further polluting the planet.

The Origins of "Lead-Free"

The origins of the "Lead-Free" Revolution differ depending upon whom you're talking to, but it's all born from a desire to better our environment and lives. In most cases, environmental change is forced by the people and this case is no different. The European's are reacting to recent environmental fears spawned by incidents of Mad Cow Disease and other toxins that have been found in Chicken as well as children's toys and diapers. But, in general, you don't need too good of a reason to ban anything that's potentially as harmful as Lead.

What's so bad about Lead?

Lead is the core component in the solder used to affix components and assemble PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) throughout the electronics industry. And just about everything we buy and use today includes a PCB in them, from CD Players to Blenders. These electronics make up more than 1% of all the Solid Waste in the US so there's a lot of Lead out there in the world waiting to be dispersed into the air, soil and water.

Once inside the ecosystem, Lead can cause a number of problems and disorders including Anemia, Kidney damage and Reproductive issues and is specially harmful to children. And if you still need concrete data on the topic, Lead has been linked to the fall of the Roman Empire, as it was commonly used in their water pipes.