Pencils never contained lead. Office for Science and Society - McGill University

This may come as a shock to some people but lead pencils do not contain any lead. Never did. The “lead” actually is a mixture of graphite and clay; the more graphite, the softer and darker the point. The mistake in terminology can be traced back to the ancient Romans who actually used pieces of lead to draw lines on papyrus scrolls in order to guide them in writing with a tiny brush called a pencillus. Lead is a very soft metal and pieces readily rub off. The Romans never realized that lead was potentially toxic but today we know that even tiny amounts ingested can result in poisoning. So it is a good thing we do not have “lead” pencils for children to chew on.

McGill_Annual_1914_1915

lead and pencils : r/MandelaEffect

SAEM Pulse July-August 2021 by Society for Academic Emergency

Copy of final-body-blk - Society of Behavioral Medicine

here - NELS 43 - CUNY

Moving McGill Library into the 21st Century - Westminster College

Combining cosmetics and technology

Lead Bullets Can Harm in More Ways Than One Office for Science and Society - McGill University

Are mechanical pencils still made with lead? - Quora

Under the Microscope: Graphite Office for Science and Society - McGill University