For decades, telecom companies have known that lead in their networks posed risks to workers, and did little about it. Lead can cause a variety of ailments in adults, affecting the kidney, heart and reproductive systems, and it is classified as a probable human carcinogen. WSJ’s Shalini Ramachandran explains the danger of lead cables -- and what telephone companies knew.

Further Reading:

- America Is Wrapped in Miles of Toxic Lead Cables 

- What AT&T and Verizon Knew About Toxic Lead Cables 

-​​ Workers Exposed to Toxic Lead Cables Wrestle With the Aftermath 

- How the Journal Investigated Hidden Lead Cables Circling the U.S. 

Further Listening:

- Part 1: America Is Wrapped in Toxic Lead Cables  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices