Lead Exposure Research Paper

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.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry says that lead exposure in children may cause comas, seizures, and death. Because a child’s brain is still developing, the damage of lead exposure is more severe. Not only does lead affect the way the brain physically develops, but lasting neurological and behavioral damage includes lower IQ scores, higher risk of attention deficit disorders and hearing impairments, decreases in impulse control, and potentially violent behavior. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician who runs the pediatric medical residency program at Flint’s Hurley Medical Center, studied blood lead level tests and found that the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels had gone from 2.4 percent to 4.9 percent citywide (Barry-Jester). Hanna-Attisha’s findings showed a rise to sixteen percent in neighborhoods where lead levels were known to be elevated in the water. She points out, "Lead only last in body a short time … and when you screen them, it's no longer elevated. So we've missed children's peak lead levels and that's why everyone says it

Lead poisoning has been a concern for many years. In fact, because of the affects of lead poisoning, there has been an extensive decline in its use. "Many people believe lead poisoning is no longer a threat, yet millions of homes contain lead based paint" (Heck, J., 2005, para. 1). Exposure to lead at any level is unhealthy, especially in infants, children, and pregnant women and continues to be an ongoing dilemma in this country. I read two articles concerning lead poisoning; the first article is from FineTuning, a popular press and the second article is from Pediatrics, a peer-review journal. In this paper, I will clearly summarize each article by comparing the content of both articles. In addition, I will summarize the attention to

The major sources of lead here were gasoline, paint chips and water from old plumbing. After lead was removed from gasoline and paint, blood lead levels (BLL) in children decreased on average from 16 mcg/dL to less than 3 mcg/dL. Residual lead persists in the environment, however. A toxic level is currently defined as 5 mcg/dL. In U.S. children age 1-5, the prevalence of BLLs >10 mcg/dL decreased from 88% to 4.4% between 1976 and 1994 and further dropped to 0.8% by 2010. Yet there are still almost half a million children in the U.S. with levels >5

At the age of just a year old, Reginald Cureton, a Detroit middle schooler, was just a year old, a blood test proved he had four times the level of lead in his blood that was concluded as lead poisoning. His parents were baffled and doctors said it would alter his brain development and hinder his skills as a child. Reginald's elementary school suggested numerous times that he repeat the third grade. This lead his parents to do test him for any mental stagnancies and he was diagnosed with ADHD. Now in middle school, Reginald and his family's fight against lead- exposure is continued and as strong as ever as they are taking extra precautions to reduce his lead exposure in any way possible (Lead-Exposure Problems Spotlighted in Detroit) . Unfortunately

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.

children are exposed to high amounts of lead dust from old painted surfaces and furnaces

There are multiple reasons to expect that a person's lead exposure as a child could affect

According to the Mayo clinic, lead poisoning is most susceptible to children under the age of six. Early estimates indicate that as many as 8,000 children could have been given the drinking water. High levels of lead according to the Clinic’s report “can severely affect mental and physical development… [and] lead poisoning can be fatal.”

This peer pressure lead drinking may require the supportive nature of a peer pressure group

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).

Furthermore, lead can cause some serious health problems, especially to children. Lead can cause something called lead poisoning, which happens when you absorb too much lead by interacting with any substance that has lead in

Exposure to lead can happen in multiple ways such as inhalation, eating, or touching the substance (ATSDR).Ways that possible lead poisoning is tested is by blood tests for excessive EP (erythrocyte protoporphyrin); which is a part of the red blood cells that increases when the body has a high amount of lead (ATSDR.). Lead is toxic to humans and affects human’s bloodstream.Ways that possible lead poisoning is tested is by blood tests. A product that can lead to lead exposure is paint that contains lead. Lead was used in paint as a pigment, as the years have gone on it is used less and has been banned for being used in house paints (ATSDR). Even though it is no longer used in paint for houses, people who live in older houses which had been

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)

Inhalation is a secondary method in which lead can enter into the human body. This route of exposure is often a problem in less developed countries where leaded gasoline is still used for motor vehicles, and can pollute the air of exposed population (Environmental Health and Medicine Education). Although lead in this form may be presented to the lungs as a particulate, the absorption of lead in this form is far greater than ingestion. Ingestion only absorbs 20% while inhaled lead absorbs up to 70% of the overall dose of lead (Environmental Health and Medicine Education). The last major method of absorption is the dermal exposure to lead. Although this is not a significant pathway of exposure, organic lead may still be absorbed directly through