Introduction:
What does lead mean?
Lead is a substance that comes from the layers of the earth. This element is very toxic for people and other living organisms. People cannot manufacture lead because it is naturally coming from earth layers (“Learn about Lead,”2016). Lead is “ a soft, heavy, ductile bluish-grey metal, the chemical element of atomic number 82” (2“Lead - Definition of Lead in English from the Oxford,”016).
Where is Lead Found?
Lead exists in people’s environment such as air, soil, and water. In the past, people were exposed to lead because they were used to lead exposure in their daily activities. Workers and consumers used to use leaded gasoline and paints that contain lead. Also, there are different materials that contain
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Pregnant women who are exposed to high levels of lead will have some or all of these symptoms. The symptoms are increased blood pressure level, multiple mononeuropathy, headache, muscle pain, and anorexia, and the inability to control body movement. Also, they may feel a lack of energy and display disorders in both behavior and concentration. In some cases, these women have kidney diseases. All of these symptoms will become acute when the blood lead level increases(“Guidelines for the Identification and Management of Lead Exposure in Pregnant and Lactating Women,” 2010).The potential health effects from a high blood lead level during pregnancy are losing babies, lower birth weight, premature birth, productivity problems and stillbirth (“Lead and your baby,”2016). Additionally, another symptom that occurs when infants are exposed to high levels of lead before they are born is development a delay (“Lead Poisoning Symptoms,”2014). Also, the other symptoms and health effects that these babies will have after they are born are difficulty learning, and low intelligence quotient (IQ) levels. Some babies will display disorder in their behavior and difficulty hearing (“Pregnancy and Lead Poisoning Protect Yourself, Protect Your Baby,”
The lead in the environment is formed naturally in the earth’s crust mainly as Lead Sulphide. The main exposure channels of lead entering the environment through atmospheric lead is predominantly from automobile emissions. Other lead exposure routes include lead-acid batteries, paint chips, fertilizers, utilized ammunition, pesticides, and other industrial byproducts. The means of conveying lead from key emission sources is mainly through the air. Concerning the sources of lead in drinking water, normally lead reaches into the residents’ water after it is channeled from their water treatment plant or the wells. To be more precise, the source of lead in people’s water supply largely emanates from their households’ pipes or lead solder from plumbing. The most typical cause of the lead formation is from the corrosion reaction by the lead pipes or solders and the water. The acidity as a result of the low pH, dissolved oxygen, and little mineral contents in the water are main reasons of the corrosion. The lead amounts in the water become high if the water spends a long duration of time stagnated inside the old pipes.
Lead, a naturally occurring metal and can be used in almost everything. It can cause serious health issues if it is exposed for a long time, particularly in children as they are more susceptible to absorbing and retaining lead in their bodies. Each year, in the United States 310,000 of 1- to 5-year age group are found to have unsafe levels of lead in their blood, which can cause a wide range of symptoms. (1)
Children under six years old are very easily affected to the effects of lead. Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in: behavior and learning problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing Problems and anemia; lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stored in bones along with calcium. For pregnant women, during pregnancy, lead is released from bones as maternal calcium and is used to help form the bones of the fetus. This is particularly true if a woman does not have enough dietary calcium. Lead can also cross the placental barrier exposing the fetus the lead. So lead can cause serious effects to the mother and her developing fetus, including: reduced growth of the fetus and premature birth. And for other adults, lead can also be harmful, it can cause cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure and incidence of hypertension, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems in both men and
The author further goes on to explain what is being done about lead poisoning, and finally explaining how to know for sure if a person has lead poisoning and how to have your home tested for lead poisoning. The author pays great attention to detail by providing facts to support the information provided in the article. For example, the author states, "75% of houses and other buildings built before 1978 have lead-based paint. When the paint is in good condition it does not pose a threat. When it chips and peels however, it can make a child very ill" (Heck, Where does lead come from section, para. 1). This article clearly achieves its purpose, which is to inform the public about prevalence of lead and the ongoing risks associated with lead poisoning. This article is not about one specific case of lead poisoning, which is evident because the author talks about the history of lead use and the laws relating to lead use in this country.
Everyone is susceptible to the dangers of lead contamination; but children are especially at risk. High levels of lead in children can lead to brain and kidney damage and damage to red blood cells. Low levels of lead can also cause problems that are less life-threatening but can be just as devastating, like low IQ, hearing and language impairment, reduced attention span and poor school performance. In adults, exposure to lead can lead to an increased risk for high blood pressure. Pregnant women and their fetuses are extremely vulnerable to lead. In women, lead increases the risk of infertility and miscarriages; in fetuses, lead can cause low birth weight, premature birth and impaired mental and physical development.
Lead is poisonous because once it enters your body it can form into other atoms like zinc and iron fooling the body into thinking they are there and not carrying out the vital functions they need. Lead atoms can also block neurotransmitters. In the 1920s there was essentially a lead "boom" and marketers began putting lead in everything including shoes, lightbulbs, and leaded gasoline, advertising that it was safe and even kid friendly (in some items) when it wasn't. The lead levels in the factories became so bad that the workers were becoming sick, hallucinating, going mad, and dying from being poisoned by lead. Scientist Robert Kehoe was hired by GM to "cover up" the lead threats saying the amount of lead was a naturally occurring. No one cared about the use of leaded gasoline and other leaded materials until Clair Patterson began to dig deeper into the research of lead in the
Health officials agree that no amount of exposure to lead is safe, be it from water, the air, old paint, or dirt. Even the smallest of amounts can lead to irreversible cognitive and developmental damage, especially in younger children.
The improved screening and treatment of lead poisoning decreased the severity of symptoms usually seen. However, the level of lead in the blood does not establish what symptoms are seen, since lead in blood only establishes current exposure. Recently, studies have shown that a long exposure to low amounts of lead may have severe neurobehavioral effects that are not diagnosed until the child enters school (Singhal et. al., 1980).
This statement makes its point. It is only safe for no lead to be in the body. Another question some may ask is why is lead so toxic? Like minerals, when consumed, they spread throughout the body. The consequence is, lead replaces some of the metals bodies need (Helmenstine). To provide reasoning, decreased IQ levels from lead means that lead switched with another metal, calcium (Helmenstine). When lead replaces calcium in transmissions of electrical impulses to the brain, it disrupts the way to recall or think, thus making you not as smart (Helmenstine). Another example are neurons, and they take in and use calcium +2. Because lead is so similar and also possessing a +2 charge, acting as a substitute for calcium. Once lead ions are taken in, they will cause damage to the nervous system (Object Retrieval).
When lead enters the human body, it is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. It is deposited in the teeth and bones where it accumulates over time. Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, kidney and brain damage. Lead exposure can also cause miscarriage and infertility. The effects are even more severe in children. Lead can affect children’s brain development resulting in decreased intelligence quotient (IQ), shortened attention span and increased antisocial behaviour. At high levels of exposure, lead may attack the brain and central nervous system, causing coma. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may continue to suffer mental retardation and behavioural disorders. Furthermore, pregnant woman exposed to lead can
There are multiple reasons to expect that a person's lead exposure as a child could affect
Lead is a toxic chemical that was regularly used in household plumbing materials. The use of lead has been illegal since 1986, to make drinking water safer and healthier. While it is unlikely that your water contains lead, it is still something to watch out for.
Lead exposure causes permanent brain damage. Children under six are most at risk from small amounts of lead. Among adults, pregnant women are especially at risk from exposure to lead. In children, lead can cause nervous system and kidney damage, decreased intelligence, attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities; speech, language, and behavior problems. In pregnant women, lead is passed from the mother to the fetus and can cause miscarriages, premature births, brain damage, and low birth weight.
The factors that should be included to determine the magnitude of risk to human health from lead within a population would be to consider the effect of lead dose exposer within children and adults and the exposer of lead to a population living in low socioeconomic areas. Lead is exposed through food (canned), water, air, soil, dust, petrol, paint etc. High exposer of lead could damage almost all organ systems which include; Central Nervous System, anaemia, kidney damage and could lead to death. Low levels of lead exposer could indicate health problems such as decreased haemoglobin, vitamin D, central nervous system and growth (Tong, Schirnding & Prapamontol, 2000). Research shows that high blood lead levels is associated with environmental
The prenatal affects of lead poisoning greatly influence the child’s early life from mental disorders to poor health. According to one of my sources, high Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) around 350 micro grams in infants during pregnancy can result in various birth defects such as reduced gestational age, weight at birth, and facial deformities. As well as other various mental affects ranging from, anaemia, impaired visual and motor functions, hearing loss, mild mental developmental delay, attention spans, and reading and learning disabilities (Ronchetti, Van Den Hazel, Schoeters, Hanke, Rennezova, Barreto, & Villa, M. P. 2006). Lead poisoning in prenatal development is an unexpected and unfavorable outcome. While children can’t grasp the dire consequences