The April 15 blaze that severely damaged the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris may have also contaminated much of the city with lead, according to recent reports.

Massive quantities of the toxic substance, which was present in the cathedral?s spire and roof, are said to have been dispersed into the air and deposited on the ground. Environmental groups in France have banded together with a top labor union to demand that the Notre Dame be covered and sealed while lead concerns are addressed.

?The 440 tonnes of lead that went up in smoke during the fire represent more than four times the annual lead emissions in the atmosphere for all of France,? said Annie Thébaud-Mony, a researcher and spokesperson for the environmental health group Association Henri Pézerat during a press conference outside the 850-year-old cathedral.
Lead is a neurotoxin, and its effects include decreased intellectual capacity in children, male fertility, and transmission to new generations. It?s stored in the bones for decades, too, and can be released back into the bloodstream during pregnancy, greatly endangering the fetus.

The proposed process would involve enveloping the entire building in airtight plastic sheeting draped over a metal scaffolding, which would drop the air pressure within the tent to keep lead particles from leaking inside while decontamination work is carried out.

Under pressure from the groups, the City of Paris has temporarily paused decontamination work to do an as...