The Effects Of Lead On Human Population

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

Potential lead contamination from drinking water presents a significant health risk. Recent examples of this lead contamination include Flint, Michigan, a city that experienced a large increase in the number of people, especially children, who exhibited symptoms of lead poisoning. A March 9, 2016 article in the Washington Post reported data from the Environmental Protection Agency that indicated approximately 350 schools and day-care centers across the US failed lead tests approximately 470 times between 2012 and 2015. Seven years ago, according to the Post, a study concluded that hundreds of young children in Washington, DC, had potentially damaging amounts of lead in their blood due to contamination in the city’s tap water. The toxin can cause permanent developmental and behavioral issues.

The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the whole body. To achieve the goal of providing energy and nutrients to the body, six processes take place in the digestive system.

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 digestive system are organs converting food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body.

The digestive and excretory systems help the body with the wonderful task of food. The digestive system is composed of the stomach, mouth, liver, pancreas, and the large and small intestine. It digests food and provides the

Food is digested by being broken down, by a variety of enzymes, into useful nutrients, which are transported around the body to places where they can be of use, and into waste products, which are excreted from the body. The digestive system is made up of a number of organs, oesophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and small and large intestines, these are then separated into the digestive tract and the digestive organs. The digestive tract is, essentially, a single continuous tube that begins at the mouth and ends at the anus, in a fully grown adult it is approximately seven metres long. Food travels through the digestive tract and the digestive organs produce the enzymes and chemicals that are responsible for

Lead poisoning in children was first discovered in 1890 in Queensland, Australia. The lead source was not identified until 1904, when a researcher traced it to the paint used on railings and verandahs. The first discovery of lead poisoning in the United States (with a traceable source) was in 1914; the child had chewed the paint off of his crib. At this time they linked lead poisoning as a cause of convulsions in children. As research progressed and more children were found with high lead levels, symptoms caused by lead were expanded to include lead meningitis, acute encephalopathy, intellectual dullness, reduced consciousness, seizures, comas, and death (Chisholm, 1982).

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

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.

Since the ban of lead based paint in residential homes, gasoline, and plumbing materials in 1978, numerous preventative measures have been put in place to protect children in the United States from exposure to high amounts of lead (Levin et al., 2008). As researchers and health care providers bring to light the many adverse health effects associated with chronic lead exposure, recent data suggests that there is no safe amount of lead a child can be exposed to. Yet while the regulations imposed have been significantly effective, elevated blood lead levels (EBLs) among U.S. children remain high. This literature review analyses whether lead poisoning is still a predominant threat to U.S. children by addressing the following

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

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)

Lead poisoning results from the accumulation of lead in the blood and body tissues of those individuals that are often exposed to lead. As one of the most common and best-recognized childhood diseases of toxic environmental origin, children around the world today are at risk of exposure to lead from numerous sources. Lead poisoning accounts for about 0.6% of the global burden of disease (WHO, 2009). Lead poisoning is most prevalent in kids between the ages of 1 and 2 years. Its adverse effects are furthermore the utmost devastating among this age group. Lead is excavated and extracted for countless industrial and domestic uses, henceforth the easy ability of