The Effect Of Mineral Nutrition On The Toxicity Of Metals

While the prevalence of lead poisoning in children is decreasing in the United States, screening of lead levels remains an important task of the pediatric primary care provider. Risk factors for lead poisoning and its toxic effects include children under six years (and especially those between 12 and 36 months), inner city children living in deteriorating housing, low-income and middle-income children, and refugee and foster care children (Hurwitz & Lee, 2013a). The importance of this screening is underscored by the fact that children can be asymptomatic even with high blood lead levels (BLL) and symptoms of lead toxicity can be non-specific. Early diagnosis is crucial because there are significant and permanent effects to almost all body systems with both toxic and below toxic BLL, including neurologic (ranging from developmental delay and behavior problems to encephalopathy), hematologic (anemia), renal (lead nephropathy), gastrointestinal (lead colic), and endocrine (vitamin D deficiency) (Hurwitz & Lee, 2013a). Laboratory evaluation of lead poisoning in children will now be discussed.

Copper is another pollutant that at very high levels is toxic and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of strength or, for serious exposure, cirrhosis of the liver (Pure Water Services). In order for copper to metabolized the heavy metal zinc is needed. Zinc helps with copper breakdown but too much zinc can cause a copper deficiency which can also cause problems such as anemia. While copper has some severe side effects there have not been any cases that are related to cancer. In most cases throughout the Silver Bow Creek copper is not thought to be a severe threat to the community.

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.

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).

The effects of prolonged exposure to lead will result in lead poisoning. It causes behavior problems, hearing problems, kidney damage, and slowed body growth (Heller).

Chronic lead poisoning in children may cause intellectual disability, seizure disorders, aggressive behavior disorders, developmental regression, chronic abdominal pain, and

Marr, Hansen, Meyer, Cacela, Podrabsky, Lipton and Bergman (1998) investigated the effects of cobalt and copper to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). These two are heavy metals that are obtained from mining operations. Marr et al. (1998) focused on the effects of cobalt but in order to simulate environmental conditions, such as run offs caused by mining operations, they included copper in their study. Due to insufficient toxicity studies of cobalt and copper, they deemed it significant to find the acute toxicity and the joint toxicity of these two metals. They cultivated rainbow trout that were soon separately grouped to be exposed to cobalt, copper and cobalt-copper for 14 days. They accounted for mortality of the fishes during the exposure period.

Health effects of lead in adults include high blood pressure, fertility problems in men and women, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, sexual disorders, and muscle and joint pain.

The effect of copper exposure upon mine workers has been studied to a great extent. The mechanisms by which the body incorporates copper are relatively well understood. There are two genetic disorders, Wilson’s Disease (WD) and Menkes Disease (MD) that result from mutations in enzymes that are involved in the transport of copper into cells of the body (Figure 3, Ref’s

The body also needs zinc to make proteins and DNA, the genetic material in all cells

Epidemiological evidence has shown higher susceptibility of children to the adverse effects of lead exposure. The central and peripheral neurotoxicity of low-level long-term exposure to lead has a special relevance in children. To date, no safe lead-exposure threshold has been identified; however, neurophysiological studies in exposed subjects at low lead levels have showed that lead affects the central nervous system, particularly the developing brain and sensitivity and motor peripheral nerves. However, clinical studies on lead-induced neurotoxicity in children are limited and the existing have associated the effects of lead on the peripheral nerves with the current blood lead levels; as well as, they have a reduced sample size and only a few sensory and motor nerves has

The presence of heavy metals is known to cause hypertension, damage to arteries leading to heart disease , Damage the brain cells increasing the risk of dementia, Parkinson's and other diseases, damage to the organs of the body increasing the risk of cancer.

In Chapter 8 several different elemnts caught my attention, but the one topic that stood out amongs them all for me was the biology and envronment section dedicated to low level lead exposure. Lead exposure is one of the most common poisonings of childhood. Due to its highly toxic elements lead exposure can effects the developing bodies of children at any age.

The human body is very advanced and has a complex homeostatic mechanism that tries to make sure that a steady supply of copper is always at the ready in the body, but also regulates and gets rid of excess copper if need be. But like many other nutrients and elements in the human body, very little intake of copper is needed. when too much copper has been ingested within the body, it will cause a number of resulting health effects. In Most cases copper ingestion comes from drinking water that has come straight from the copper piping in your house. In addition, when acidic foods are cooked in household copper pans it will intern give off copper due to the food corroding a thin layer of copper off the pan. Many of you may not know but

In 2000, WHO assessed the global burden of disease due to a number of risk factors associated with lead. (3)