Lead arsenate facts for kids
Lead arsenate is a chemical compound. It's made of lead, hydrogen, and arsenic. Its chemical formula is PbHAsO4.
Contents
What is Lead Arsenate?
Lead arsenate is a white solid. It's very dangerous because it contains lead and arsenic. Both lead and arsenic are harmful to living things. This compound does not dissolve in water.
How it Was Made
Scientists used to make lead arsenate by mixing two other chemicals. They reacted lead nitrate with arsenic acid.
Its Past Uses
Lead arsenate was once a very common insecticide. An insecticide is a chemical used to kill insects.
Fighting Pests
It was used to protect crops from pests. For example, it helped farmers fight the Colorado potato beetle. It also helped control the Spongy moth.
Replacing Other Chemicals
Before lead arsenate, another dangerous chemical called Paris green was used. Lead arsenate was seen as a better option at the time. Even so, it was still very harmful. It was also used to kill certain moths and mosquitoes. Farmers used it to protect cranberries from pests.
Why It Was Banned
Over time, people realized lead arsenate was very risky. It would stay on fruits and vegetables, even after washing them. This meant people could accidentally eat it. Because of these dangers, lead arsenate was replaced by other chemicals like DDT. Eventually, it was completely banned in 1988.
Related Pages
Images for kids
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This is an old advertisement for pesticides from 1911. One of the products advertised is lead arsenate. Today, some areas where these chemicals were used still have contaminated soil and water.
