Pompeii harboured a deadly threat long before Vesuvius erupted. Lead piping was used as a water conduit throughout the Roman world which, although less corrosive than other metals, is now known to be a poor choice for distributing drinking water. Lead particles could accumulate in the body leading to lead poisoning to which babies and young children were particularly susceptible. Tests of a lead water pipe fragment from Pompeii show evidence of antimony, a highly toxic metallic element.
No comments:
Post a Comment