Australia's Science Forum

I was just asked by a teacher with a Yr7 student in tow if we could melt down some lead with a bunsen? If not, what metal could we melt down? (Apparently boy's father has equipment to make his own sinkers.)

Short answer (impolite) - "Hell no!"
Slightly longer answer (polite) - "well....no you may not."
Explanation: What folks do on their own time in their own airspace is NOT your business, but no-one may create lead vapour in your airspace and on your time BECAUSE it's not allowed any more. (Hence the removal of the classic Red Lead reduction experiment).

It's rather like an extension of the No Hat, No Play rule. Kids can get skin cancer on their own time, but no school wants to be sued for adding to the UV load a child receives. Similarly, we don't have much left that is carcinogenic in schools. Folks can expose themselves to whatever outside of school hours.

Indeed. A lot of really cool experiments aren't allowed anymore just because they will slowly kill you; a little bit at a time.

Hi
Lead needs high temperatures to melt. My father used solider to make sinkers (what plumber use).

" BECAUSE it's not allowed any more"

where did you get information from?

Hey Jazz,

It took me a while to track down chapter and verse, but here it is:

The National Standard for Control of Inorganic Lead at Work refers to "melting lead at less than 450 degrees" in Schedule II, and in 12.1 "any work that exposes a person to lead fumes" it say "the employer shall ensure that this exposure is prevented".

Qld Ed has also released a Safety Alert statement again with reference to "Lead Processes", with specific references to "Females with a reproductive capacity" which of course is all of my school! And it recommends replacing lead with Tin or silver solder.

So that one National Standard, and one QLD standard. Therefore I have compiled all of that into a "Hell No" response.

Thank you,