ABSTRACT
Organolead compounds are mostly man-made and are found in the environment as pollutants. Although they are not as widely used as are the organotins, the number or organolead compounds known is enormous. There are two types of organolead compounds of environmental concern. One type is volatile and is expected to be present mainly in the atmosphere. The other type includes ionic species, typically R2PbX2 and R3PbX which are present in solution as salts. The main sources of organolead compounds are from automobile emissions and commercial and industrial wastes carried to the hydrosphere by rain, atmospheric fallout, river runoffs, and industrial and municipal discharges. There is a dearth of knowledge on the occurrence of organolead compounds in natural waters and sediments. Although lead is one of the most studied metals in toxicology, there have been very few studies on the effects of organolead compounds on the aquatic organisms.
