If I recall, lead is one of those heavy metals that accumulates in the body, doesn’t get filtered out or excreted very readily, so a tiny amount isn’t a huge issue but many tiny amounts adds up to enough to cause real harm.
Lead, in itself, is a very stable material. Great insulator for radiation as noted, a great protectant in paint, doesn’t rust or corrode, and melts at a low point. Making it ideal for many applications.
In the power industry, we painted steel transmission line towers with lead paint in the distant past, but now use a zinc-based protectant paint. You have to protect that steel with something or it will rust and degrade. Lead was cheap and plentiful, which is why it was used.
My friend casts his own bullets out of lead (with a little bit of antimony), but he takes some serious precautions. Well-ventilated area, away from the house, washes up thoroughly when done. And heats it enough to melt without creating a great deal of vapors in the first place.
Lead is/was great for many purposes - BUT, but, but - it’s toxic. We people didn’t really know the level of toxicity of lead back in the day. My dad and uncle, in the 1930s, used to make toy soldiers out of lead. pour the melted lead into molds and cast them. That was a thing back then.
Agreed.
I remember lead soldiers. My brothers had them.
My main concern is that it’s a heavy metal. At the place I retired from, we used mercury for 30 years before changing to lead. While using mercury, we had to take a pee test every 3-6 months to check for mercury poisoning. A lot of people had it. I don’t want to be poisoned by either one.