Lead
and Your Health
WHAT
IS LEAD POISONING?
Too much lead in
the body can seriously injure the brain, nervous system, red
blood cells, and the kidneys.
Higher levels of
lead in the body can cause mental retardation, fits (convulsions),
falling out (unconsciousness, coma), and even death. In years
past, that kind of effect was called lead poisoning. Exposures
high enough to cause coma and death are very uncommon today,
but they haven't disappeared.
WHAT
IS LEAD TOXICITY?
Low levels of lead
in the body when a child's brain is developing can slow the
child's development and cause learning and behavior problems.
Lead-exposed children
may not be as quick at their studies or as good at hitting a
baseball or dribbling a basketball as children without the lead
exposures.
 WHERE'S THE RISK?
Though lead paint
stopped being used on most houses in the mid-1970s, many older
homes still have surfaces once painted with lead paint. Young
children eat, chew, and suck on lead-painted surfaces they can
reach, like window sills and railings. The little ones will
put jewelry and printed matter that may have lead in their mouths.
 Dirt and dust sometimes have lead in them,
as do the fumes and dust stirred up during home renovation and
while sandblasting lead-painted buildings and bridges.
Older homes and especially
deteriorating and poorly kept older homes can be a threat for
children. Particular jobs, like welding, radiator repair, making
lead batteries, and demolition work can be especially hazardous
to workers.
HOW
DOES RISK BECOME THREAT?
 Lead accumulates in our environment. As
we keep using more lead, there will be more lead in the environment.
Lead accumulates
in our bodies, and especially in children's bodies. Exposure
to small amounts of lead over time can mean a long-term accumulation
of lead in a child, raising the child's risk of bad health effects.
Pregnant women who
have lead stored in their bones may release some of that bone
lead into their K blood, where it can reach the womb and fetus
during pregnancy. That kind of transfer potential makes us think
about lead exposures in today's children and what that may mean
for their children.
On to....
"What Is the Government Doing About Lead and Health?"
Back to... Lead Home Page
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