The Importance Of Lead In The Environment

Lead poisoning is a serious and sometimes fatal condition. The poisoning is found in paints, toys, contaminated dust, and gasoline products. Children are the most vulnerable to lead poisoning because most of them use toy trucks or dolls which have paint and they are getting poisoned when they put them in their mouths a lot like most kids and toddlers do. Adults can also be poisoned but not as severe as children. Adults can get poisoned by lead and have muscle and joint pain, nerve disorders, digestive issues, and high blood pressure. That is not as severe as a child decreased in intelligence speech and language impairment, decreased bone growth, and kidney

In cases it can cause the child’s brain to have development problems, it damages the red blood cells over time if you do not treat lead poisoning over time. (“Lead Poisoning”).

(Campbell, 2016). Two giants in childhood lead poisoning research and advocacy, Dr. Philip Landrigan and Dr. David Bellinger, summarize the adverse effects of lead very completely, yet succinctly: “Lead is a devastating poison. It damages children’s brains, erodes intelligence, diminishes creativity and the ability to weigh consequences and make good decisions, impairs language skills, shortens attention span, and predisposes to hyperactive and aggressive behavior. Lead exposure in early childhood is linked to later increased risk for dyslexia and school failure.”(p. 3).

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

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).

* In pregnant women, lead can cross the placental barrier and cause harm to the fetus such as reduced growth and prematurity.

As a result of this, the percentage of children with high levels of lead in their blood doubled after the switch. Lead does irreversible damage to children’s

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

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

Children with developing bodies are especially vulnerable because their rapidly developing nervous systems are particularly sensitive to the effects of lead. Blood lead levela exceeding 60 ug/dl causes brain swelling and hemorrhaging. Almost all children in the United States have been exposed to lead one point in their lives. Common sources included lead paint and lead contained water

Unwanted effects that are caused by Lead in the human body (Goyer, 1986) and (Jarup, 2003):

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)

There are more than 4 million houses that have children that are being exposed to high levels of lead. Amongst these the number of children between ages 1-5 have blood lead levels > 5 micrograms per deciliter and are around half a million. It has been found out there no blood lead level that is safe in children and can be harmful to the body. This poisoning is a very serious problem but it is still curable. Children can suffer from neurological damage because of which they can have low IQ level and behavioral problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended for public health actions to be taken on this matter.4

Lead poisoning probably has the severest effect of chronic environmental illness in children. Despite efforts to control it, serious cases of lead poisoning still appear. (1)