From : 

Attachment IX: Lead 
............................................................ page 21  

" The European Commission,Committee on Toxicology, Ecotoxicology and the 
Environment (CSTEE) has issued an Opinion concluding that the proposed ban is 
not scientifically justified." 

( Above RE: Danish proposal to ban the import, sale and production of lead 
and lead-containing products in Denmark.)

"Lead is a naturally occurring material and one of the most abundant elements 
on earth. This high abundance coupled with infinite recyclability ensures 
that it will be available for use for many generations to come. Many 
potential substitute materials have a much lower natural abundance and this 
fact was highlighted in a major report on possible lead-free solders by the 
US National Center for Manufacturing Sciences which stated that ‘low melting 
alloys usually contain high levels of bismuth and/or indium which are 
expensive and have limited availability. The use of bismuth- or 
indium-containing alloys raises serious questions concerning the long term 
availability of these solders and the related ethical implications of 
potentially exhausting the supply of an element’. Furthermore the production 
of bismuth requires the mining and processing of approximately 10 times the 
material required for lead production.

From: 

Attachment X: Lead Oxide 
............................................................ page 24

"... lead oxides have a relatively low bioavailability and uptake by 
terrestrial plants and animals generally occurs only at high lead 
concentrations. Lead is not bio-magnified in terrestrial or aquatic food 
chains."


"Alternatively the leaded glass may be disposed of to controlled landfills. 
The lead oxide is tightly bound in a glass matrix and is therefore not 
available for uptake by the
environment."

"Several studies have shown that leaching of lead from landfill occurs at 
very low levels. A project by AWD Technologies Inc. sampled leachate 
concentrations from municipal landfills across the United States and found 
that in every case the concentration was below the maximum allowed limit. 
Other studies conducted on landfill waste, including a 1993 Toxicological 
Profile of Lead conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services, 
have concluded that the health concerns from landfilled lead are minimal."

Source: 
Guidance Document
on the Appliance of Substances under Special Attention in
Electric & Electronic – Products

Published in co-operation

by

European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC)

European Association of Consumer Electronic Manufacturers (EACEM)

European Electronic Component Manufacturers Association (EECA)

European Information and Communication Technology Association (EICTA)

European Association of Metals (EUROMETAUX)

Released Version: 01

August 24, 2000

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