Soil pollution with lead: Geochemistry, food safety issues and reclamation options - A review

Lead (Pb) exposure is estimated to account for 0.6% of the global burden of disease with the highest burden in developing regions. Lead is considered as general protoplasmic poison, which is slow acting, cumulative and subtle. The use of leaded gasoline, discharges from industrial activities and other sources, and deposition by rainfall or dry fall can greatly influence the availability of Pb in soil, water, and other environments. Most of the Pb in plants and soil surface are anthropogenic origin.