Comprehensive ban on lead will become inevitable. How should fishing gear enterprises deal with it?

    In the 1960s, the lead poisoning rate among children in the United States was up to 85%. The US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reported to The American Congress that “lead is poisonous wherever it is found, but lead is everywhere.” Children’s lead poisoning is called " Pernicious Effect” was widely reported by the media and thus became an important public issue. Thus, the U.S. government and people set off a "Zero Lead Movement." The legislation on the ban on lead has been gradually perfected. Lead prevention legislation has been implemented in water supply, food, lead-containing solders, canned food , cars, lamps, heat fusion welded fittings and paints.

    Similarly, most countries in the world have also taken a series of actions in terms of lead banning. As early as the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the United Kingdom launched a 40-year-old reform campaign specifically aimed at preventing industrial pollution caused by lead poisoning. British law stipulates that lead is prohibited in paints and gasoline. In December 2003, the United Kingdom even banned the use of lead-salt heat stabilizers for drinking water pipes. Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands also made similar legislation in this regard. In 1994, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland signed a proposal to ban lead for a long time. Many Asian countries have proposed lead recycling. The EU, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia also have legislation that prohibits the use of toxic substances such as lead in electronic products.

    The diagnostic criteria for lead poisoning in children developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are blood lead levels of 10 μg/dl or more. This standard has now been adopted by various countries. The World Health Organization reported in 1994 that for every 100 micrograms/liter of children's blood lead levels, the IQ value decreased by an average of 1 to 3 points. Lead poisoning can lead to mental decline, especially for children with learning disabilities. According to reports, the IQ of high lead children is on average 4-6 points lower than that of low lead children.

    In the fishing gear industry, 94% of the fish sinkers currently are made of lead, which has become a major source of pollution for water resources and soil. With the strengthening of environmental protection, the fall of the use of lead fish will become inevitable. Therefore, each fishing gear enterprise must plan ahead and do a good job of product layout in advance to increase the production and promotion of the environmentally friendly fishing weights, the Tungsten Fishing Weights. The main raw materials for tungsten weights are tungsten, nickel and iron, among which the percentage of tungsten are more than 99%. Tungsten is very weak in activity and will not be dissolved by water and it will not enter the body. Therefore, it will not do no harm to the human body. In addition, tungsten alloy fish pendant also has the following three advantages:
 

1. Small size. Even if the weight is heavy, it is smaller than the traditional lead-type fishing sinker, which makes it hard to find in fish. Moreover, even in the deep sea, it is easy to fish.
2. Hard material and not be easily removed due to being caught by the fish's mouth. Traditional lead-type fishing pendants are relatively soft, and if they are swallowed by prey, they can easily get stuck in them and are not easy to remove. The tungsten alloy fishing sinker is relatively hard and can be smoothly removed from the fish's mouth.
3.  Strong wind resistance and good hand feeling. Compared with lead weights, due to the high density and strong wind resistance of tungsten weights, the fishing hand feelings is better and the catch rate is higher.

    Of course, a major drawback of tungsten weights is that they are expensive and are at least ten times more expensive than lead weights which may increase fishing costs for fishing enthusiasts. However, no matter how much is the economic cost , it cannot be compared with the cost of the environment and the physical health of children. Therefore, each fishing gear manufacturer must be responsible for the future as well as the sustainable development of mankind, increase the promotion and propaganda of tungsten weights, and guide more consumers to use tungsten weights. In this way, can fishing gear enterprises grab the opportunity and will not be at a loss due to the sudden arrival of the lead ban.