Lead

We all know that lead is dangerous. That is why so many governments have banned the use of lead-containing gasoline. The lead emitted by the car's exhaust enters the atmosphere. Lead poisoning is caused when lead is absorbed into the body, most often through the ingestion of dust, soil, and paint containing lead. (See also our FAQ about pets)

The effects of lead poisoning are very serious, children being most significantly affected by this heavy metal. A child can have already absorbed lead into their bodies during pregnancy if the mother was exposed to lead. Children and adults can be exposed by breathing, eating or drinking materials containing lead and through skin contact. Because children are not yet fully developed, the lead poisoning affects many aspects of their progression and growth. Speech delay, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, behaviour disorders, neurological and renal damage, stunted growth, anaemia, hearing loss, and cognitive damage can result.

One in five urban children are affected by lead poisoning.

Lead poisoning affects children under the age of six the most because they still have developing brains and nervous systems and lead interferes with this development. The blood brain barrier has not fully formed by the age of six, which increases the chances of severe damage due to lead exposure.

Lead can affect a child's IQ results.

An important recent study by the University of Pennsylvania has shown a direct link between high lead levels in young people and juvenile delinquency.(Dr. H. Needleman, Journal of Neurotoxicology/Tetrology, 7 Jan 2003)

Lead exposure can be harmful to babies before being born because lead is able to cross the placenta, causing the amount of lead ingested by the child to be up to 50% attributed to the foetal absorption. Any exposure to lead during the prenatal period hurts the development of the child after birth, making it especially important for pregnant women to avoid lead ingestion and exposure.

Lead poisoning symptoms include irritability, stomach-aches, poor appetite, diarrhoea, distractibility, and lethargy. Over 1 million workers in more than 100 different occupations may be exposed to lead every day. There are a large number of people working in jobs that expose them to lead. Workers may ingest and inhale lead dust and fumes, as well as bring it from their job sites into their homes if they do not clean well or wash up very well.

Sources and their effects are listed below.

SourcesEffects
Ash, auto exhaust, battery manufacture, bone meal, canned fruit & juice, car batteries, cigarette smoke, coal combustion, coloured inks, congenital intoxication, cosmetics, eating utensils, electroplating, household dust, glass production, hair dyes, industrial emissions, lead pipes, lead-glazed earthenware pottery, liver & other organ meats, mascara, metal polish, milk, newsprint, paint, pencils, pesticides, putty, rain water, PVC containers, refineries, smelters, snow, tin cans with lead solder seals (such as for juices & vegetables), tobacco, toothpaste, toys, water (city & well), wine.Abdominal pain, adrenal insufficiency, allergies, anaemia, anorexia, anxiety, arthritis (rheumatoid & osteo), attention deficit disorder (ADS), autism, back pain, behavioural disorders, blindness, cardiovascular disease, cartilage destruction, co-ordination loss, concentration loss, constipation, convulsions, deafness, depression, dyslexia, emotional instability, encephalitis, epilepsy, fatigue, gout, hallucinations, headaches, hostility, hyperactivity, hypertension, hypothyroid, impotence, immune suppression, decreased IQ, indigestion, infertility, insomnia, irritability, joint pain, juvenile delinquency, kidney disorders, learning disability, liver dysfunction, loss of will, memory loss (long term), menstrual problems, mood swings, muscle aches, muscle weakness, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, myelopathy (spinal cord pathology), nausea, nephritis, nightmares, numbness, Parkinson's disease, peripheral neuropathies, psychosis, psychomotor dysfunction, restlessness, retardation, schizophrenia, seizures, sterility, stillbirths, sudden infant death syndrome, tingling, tooth decay, vertigo, unintentional weight loss.

The Humifulvate® chelate in Humet®-R has a natural ionic affinity to lead and other toxic heavy metals. The chelate surrounds the metal and removes it. For more information, see elsewhere in this Science Section.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button