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Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust. People have spread it through the environment in many ways. Lead used to be in paint and gasoline. Lead can still be found in contaminated soil, household dust, drinking water, lead-glazed pottery and some metal jewelry.
Breathing air, drinking water, eating food or swallowing or touching dirt that contains lead can cause many health problems. In adults, lead can increase blood pressure and cause infertility, nerve disorders and muscle and joint pain. It can also make you irritable and affect your ability to concentrate and remember.
Lead is especially dangerous for children. A child who swallows large amounts of lead may develop anemia, severe stomachache, muscle weakness and brain damage. Even low levels of lead are linked to lower IQ scores.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
'''Lead poisoning''' is a condition, also known as '''plumbism''' or '''painter's colic''', caused by increased levels of blood blood plasma lead levels. The average person has less than 10 micrograms per deciliter, or 100 parts per billion, ppb, of lead in their blood serum. People who have been exposed to an unusual amount of lead will have lead serum levels higher than 200 ppb—most clinical symptoms of lead poisoning begin at around 100 ppb. The symptoms of lead poisoning include reduced IQ, rashes, irritability, insomnia, excess lethargy or hyperactivity, poor appetite, headache and, in extreme cases, seizure and coma. Outside of occupational hazards, the majority of lead poisoning occurs in children under age twelve. The main sources of poisoning are ingestion of lead contaminated soil (this is less of a problem in countries that no longer have Tetra-ethyl lead gasoline) and lead based paints. This is particularly a problem in older houses where the sweet-tasting lead paint is likely to chip. In most states, landlords and those selling such houses are required to inform the potential residents of the danger. A direct link between early lead exposure and extreme learning disability has been confirmed by multiple researchers and child advocacy groups. Lead has no known biological role in the body. The toxicity comes from its ability to mimic other biologically important metals, the most notable of which are calcium, iron and zinc. Lead is able to bind to and interact with the same proteins and molecules as these metals, but after displacement, those molecules function differently and fail to carry out the same reactions, such as in producing enzymes necessary for certain biological process. One measure of lead in the body is the blood lead level (BLL), measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL). ... [ Read More ]
Beethoven's Hair - Includes information about an analysis of his lock of hair, and how lead poisoning may have been the cause of death.
Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services: Environmental Health Resources - Collection of fact sheets, other information materials, and links on diverse topics, including toxic chemicals, radiation, eating safe fish, indoor air, EMF, drinking water, lead poisoning, and treated wood products.
Environmental Cyberschool House - An interactive, web-based curriculum for middle and high school students about the role of biomedical research in environmental toxicology. Topics include lead poisoning, asthma, and genetics and the environment.
Home Safe - Information about lead testing, lead-based paint, childhood lead poisoning, risk assessments, and related compliance and worker safety issues. Provide home test kits for lead, asbestos, mold and mildew.
Abotex Enterprises Ltd. - Provides facts about lead poisoning and reducing lead intake. Offers lead test kit - Lead Inspector.
Alliance for Healthy Homes - A non-profit public interest organization dedicated to protecting children from lead poisoning and other in-home hazards. Extensive information on lead safety, related hazards, and policies and other initiatives to address them.
Lead Poisoning Prevention Outreach Program - U.S. government program to give community-based organizations the tools and skills to plan and execute successful lead poisoning prevention programs in their communities.
The LEAD Group Inc - Organization aiming to eliminate childhood and foetal lead poisoning in Australia by the year 2012 and to protect the environment from lead. Includes fact sheets, news articles, and other resources.
Multnomah County Health Department Lead Poisoning Prevention Program - Provides description of Oregon county community based services to those at risk for lead poisoning.
Investigation and Surveillance Section - Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) info on lead and pesticide poisoning, indoor air quality, and other environmental health concerns of a non-infectious nature.