Prevention

Lead may have been phased out in the late 70's but that doesn't mean that Lead is not present in the environment. As I have mentioned earlier, older homes can still have lead paint.

Some prevention tips:
-Talk to local/state department for lead testing at home.
-Make sure paint is not chipping at homes.
-Do not purchase toys that may have lead components.
-Replace lead based pipes. (again especially in older homes)

Some other steps we can take to make sure we are prevented Lead poisoning or any type of harmful toxins is to just by living a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy prevents us from having any artificial additives from entering our system. Food rich in iron, calcium, vitamin C and antioxidants limit the absorption of Lead. Sounds so normal, right?  Regular visits to the doctor to discuss any problems can be a quick way of knowing of any health issues. Children should be screened for lead at an early stage if possible. The quicker the treatments the less possibility for chronic illnesses. Cleanliness is also  important in keeping safe from lead.


Works Cited:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 25 June 2012. Http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/ips.htm

2. "Lead." EPA. Environment Protection Agency. Http:/www.epa.gov/lead

The Effects of Lead

Lead is known to cause a number of health problems. I began to think about all the places that I have lived  during my lifetime to see if I may have been exposed. Then again we never know right?

 Children are affected by lead exposure more highly than adults. It is unfortunate. It is because they are still in their development stages and anything that gets exposed to their bodies that is toxic will remain till adulthood. Lead is a metal that just doesn't leave the system.  Children usually suffer neurological symptoms but it is important to know that lead poisoning from childhood to adulthood will can have health effects such as renal effects, hypertension (ADHD), and reproductive problems and other health conditions. The nervous system is the main target that can become affected with lead toxicity. These symptoms go from headaches, irritability to attention span.

Lead poisoning can also have cardiovascular effects. The consequences from this is hypertension and heart diseases. The reproductive system can also be affected in men and women. Women who want to become pregnant are at risk and must take precaution if they feel they are being exposed. Men can have abnormal sperm count and uneven testosterone levels for example. Women are more to miscarriage, infertility and pre-eclampsia. Other  health conditions that can occur are kidney disease and anemia.




Works Cited:

1. Flora, Gagan, Deepesh Gupta, and Archana, Tiwari. "Toxicity of lead: A review with recent " Interdiscip Toxicol 5.2: 47-58.

2. Amol, Kadu S., Et al. "Lead Poisoning:An Overlooked diagnosis in clinical practice." International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy. 3.5 (2012): 639-44.

Where is Lead found?

I have already mentioned that lead was being used widely in many industries for many years because of it's many different properties. Lead is very unique. It is a soft metal, has low melting point and has a high resistance to corrosion.  So lead was used to make products such as paint, pipes or solder in water supply, plumbing fixtures, gasoline, canned food and many other  . Workers that worked at motor vehicle factories, paint workers, refining workers were all being exposed to lead. Many of the homes built before 1978 used lead based paints.  Lead can scrape of deteriorating paint and be exposed to the air which we can then breath in. Lead enters our bodies through inhalation, ingestion or absorption but the most common way is inhalation. This scared me because I live in a home right now that was built in the late 70's. I will definitely be testing for any lead "products" in this home!

Children are affected by lead more than adults are. The most frequent way they are exposed to lead is by ingestion This is due to the developing stages. They crawl and put objects in their mouth. We all know that this is a very common thing for a baby to do. See, many toys are still imported from countries that have lead on the paint or the plastic of the toys. Lead can be easily digested through just chewing on any kind of this toy. Why are these toys even being imported here? I would think that these types of objects being imported should be monitored a little bit more carefully. Just a thought.


Works Cited:

1. "CDC-Lead.Tips.Sources of lead-toys." www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/toys.htm

2. Amol,Kadu S. Et Al. "Lead Poisoning:An Overlooked Diagnosis in Clinical practice." International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy 3.5 (2012): 639-44.

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Toxic Lead

We have all heard of Lead. Lead is an element that was used widely for commercial and industrial purposes. It is a natural element which is highly toxic that is found in the Earth's crust. For many years lead has been used in producing pipes, paint, gasoline, cosmetics and many other products. Since lead was used to produce these items many people that worked for factories were exposed to lead and didn't know it. Lead can be also be found in soil and paint in older homes before 1978. Lead exposure has been a crucial factor in health risks in adults and children. Children have been exposed to lead more than adults. Lead exposure can cause serious health risks such as effecting the central nervous system, renal system, reproductive system in both men and women and many more. It is scary to see all the health problems humans can get due to lead. It can be very hard to tell how we can be exposed to lead based products.

Works Cited:

1.  Brown, Mary Jean, and Stephen Margolis. "Lead in Drinking Water and Human Blood Lead Levels in the United States." Centers for Disease and Prevention. 09 Aug. 2012.