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Ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon and thank you for joining us today. My name is Maria, and I would like to introduce you to a topic that had profoundly impacted our society, yet remains widely misunderstood and overlooked - Victorian lead poisoning. This toxin wasn't as fatal as other commonly used substances in the 19th century like arsenic, cyanide or radium. This toxin wasn't even invented during the Victorian era; it was commonly used earlier, for example in Roman Empire. The reason lead caught my attention is simple - I thought about it immediately after hearing an announcement from my teacher, Jack McCay, that we need to choose a topic connected to the Victorian era. You see, once upon a time, there was a little girl (spoiler alert - obviously - me), who loved the story titled "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by H.H.Andersen. Well, in the Polish version, it has a bit more explicit name - "the Lead soldier". As a girl, I thought about the sadness of this story, where the soldier melted with his beloved ballerina in the fireplace. But now, after learning about the danger of lead toxicity, I can't help but think about how badly the room was contaminated after the soldier burned. This awareness was instilled in me after watching a tv show about Victorian deadly home inventions. There were many more examples, but the issue of lead solidified in my memory. But how exactly is lead toxic? Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body, often over months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Any surface covered with lead-based paint, where the paint, through rubbing or friction, is likely to produce lead dust. Children can be exposed to lead if they chew on surfaces coated with lead-based paint, such as toys. Toys are a great example of hidden Victorian killers. Manufacturers widely used lead-based paint in tin soldiers, dolls or animals. Lead poisoning damages the brain's nervous system and can result in symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems and infertility. As Victorian children weren’t fully developed at the time, they were particularly susceptible to fatal poisoning. Another example of deadly lead hidden in victorian houses is the wall and furniture paint, which contained lead as an ingredient. As mentioned earlier, rubbing areas with lead paint caused lead dust, which, when inhaled, was poisonous. Interestingly, even today, many old Victorian houses still have a layer of lead paint on them, posing a greater danger as it deteriorates - peeling, chipping, and producing more lead dust. Additionally, after the Industrial Evolution, many upper-class houses were equipped with water pipe system. Alas(unfortunately), every rose has its thorn, for these pipes were frequently made of lead. The water provided to the house was contaminated. Let's shift the focus to beauty products. Lead-based cosmetics had been an extremely popular for decades, but the Victorian grabbed a hold of it. They covered their face, arms, chest, and any exposed skin with these corrosive cosmetics, leading to skin damage that only worsened with each use. To summarize, I want to emphasize the importance of acknowledging the danger that our society still faces, often unknowingly, today. Firstly, I'd like to check what my audience think about it. Why can we still have the contact with lead even without knowing it? May I ask you for an example? Yes, I can't agree with you more.