Half the lead produced in the world ends up discharged into the environment and Ireland and the UK are among the biggest culprits, a study of 52 countries shows.
Ireland is exceeded only by the UK in terms of emissions of the potentially toxic metal on a per capita basis, according to research by Yale and Beijing Normal universities.
Corrosion of lead in piping and roof cladding on churches and old buildings is to blame as well as tailings from lead mines.
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Ireland still uses lead in fishing weights and gun ammunition, even though this practice is banned in other countries. The metal, which can be hazardous to humans and animals, has been found all over the globe.
Thomas Graedel at the Center of Industrial Ecology at Yale University said: "The use of lead as a roofing material is a lot higher in Ireland and the UK than many other countries. Gradually it will corrode over time like steel and go into the ground."
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Graedel said they had no direct evidence of any significant health problems as a result of these uses of lead. The health risk associated depends on the form in which the lead exists. "In the metal form it is stable so we wouldn't anticipate any health challenge," said Graedel.
However, lead compounds are of significant concern, say the authors of the study published in the journal Environmental Pollution. "Tailings are typically in the form of fragments of rock that have been crushed into particles about the size of table salt," said Graedel. "It is usually in the form of oxide."
Lead oxide is toxic and can be absorbed by inhalation and ingestion. It may have effects on the blood, bone marrow, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and kidneys, resulting in anaemia, convulsions, peripheral nerve disease and kidney impairment.
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John O'Halloran, a professor of ecotoxicology at University College Cork, said: "Any lead we get is unwelcome. That's why we banned lead from petrol and paints. Ireland has large lead resources that have been mined so inevitably there will be a lot of tailings. These are a potential risk. The management of the tailings is crucial in terms of making sure that no dust particles get airborne."
Ireland has several mines exploiting lead ore. Tara mine, a zinc and lead mine near Navan in Meath, is the largest zinc mine in Europe. Galmoy mine in Kilkenny and Lisheen mine in Tipperary also mine lead.