Ok, somebody tell me if I'm just plain wrong here...
1) Lead was alloyed with CRT glass back in the 60s to provide shielding for the X-rays produced by HV.
2) A better term than "alloyed" in the case of glass is "vitrification", which means:
To change or make into glass or a glassy substance, especially through heat fusion.
4) Vitrification is also used to stabilize nuclear waste. From Wiki (but I already knew this):
Long-term storage of radioactive waste requires the stabilization of the waste into a form which will neither react nor degrade for extended periods of time. One way to do this is through vitrification... [waste with water burned off] is fed continuously into an induction heated furnace with fragmented glass. The resulting glass is a new substance in which the waste products are bonded into the glass matrix when it solidifies. This product, as a melt, is poured into stainless steel cylindrical containers ("cylinders") in a batch process. When cooled, the fluid solidifies ("vitrifies") into the glass. Such glass, after being formed, is highly resistant to water
5) Everybody understand this? You cannot, through any natural process, separate (leech) the lead out of the glass.
This isn't just me saying this. You could literally suck on a piece of broken CRT and would be more likely to die from a lightning strike. Further:
IX. Analysis of the migration and leaching of heavy metals from glass This study examines the components of glass and the possible impact of heavy metals if present in the glass could have on the environment and when coming into contact with materials. The study is a testament to the chemical stability of glass containers whether it is migration to food or leaching into the environment via landfills or incineration.
6) They vitrify freakin' nuclear waste with glass. I'm a helluva lot more scared of nuclear waste than something that is still used to transport water through municipal water lines (lead), is present in most copper plumbing systems and the wheel weights on your car prior to 2009 (+/- a few years). And none of that lead is vitrified with glass!
7) The "scare" of lead is that it retards your intelligence. For most of society; too late. On this basis, I would argue that most of what I see in the mainstream media is more dangerous than lead.
8) People who know better are lying to people who don't even know what questions they should ask. These people repeat the lie and spread fear. Fear is the greatest human motivator.
9) I question the motivation of anyone who is involved with step 8.
10) 8 & 9 are why I virtually ignore what popular culture dictates that I should care about. I was brought up not to waste things simply because it is stupid, gluttonous and wrong, not to please the one-world-religion "earth god".
I'm just sayin'.
