Lead Exposure
It
is shocking to learn that the toxic effects of lead have been known for over a
century, yet lead was still commonly used up until 1978 in the United States.
The authors hinted that because lead was so effective, regulatory bodies may
have overlooked it's detrimental and hazardous side effects.
Lead
can affect populations throughout their lifespan. When fetuses are exposed
while in utero, they are at greater risk for stillbirth and neonatal death, as
well as neurodevelopmental issues early on in life. Childhood lead poisoning is
exhibited by behavioral changes, seizures, encephalopathy, anemia,
hyperactivity, learning deficits, etc. More recently, researchers have
discovered that even at low levels of exposure, children can have cognitive
behavioral problems and social issues. Interestingly, children are more
sensitive to the effects of lead and more readily absorb lead through their GI
tract than adults do. When adults are exposed (typically through occupational
hazards), sequelae include cardiovascular effects, decreased kidney function,
infertility in both men and women, and neurological effects. Notably, exposure
to lead has also been linked with an increased likelihood of committing a crime
and other deviant behavior. Lower crime rates over the last several decades have been associated with decreased environmental lead exposure. Lastly, older
adults can have high blood lead levels through bone resorption. Elder adults
with high blood levels are found to have higher rates of dementia with
decreased executive function, memory, and dexterity. They are also at greater
risk for mortality. Lead causes significant societal burden and continued
efforts need to be implemented in order to decrease exposure; prevention is
key! If exposure goes unchecked, deleterious results can occur. This is
exemplified by the case study in Nigeria where over 400 children under the age
of five died in one year.
On a
side note, I found it very fascinating that ancient Roman aristocrats used to
drink lead-laden wine, which caused psychosis and infertility. In fact, it is
thought that high lead exposure contributed to the downfall of the Roman
Empire!
HI Elena,
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes the story about ancient Roman aristocrats was very interesting! I think it is amazing how our science has been developed enough to find out which chemicals are harmful for human. On the other hand, it is also sad that the government or health care agencies sometimes do not protect us from the toxic chemicals actively. Hopefully, we can have a future that we can trust our government strongly that they will make it very strict to protect our environment.
Hey Elena,
ReplyDeleteGreat summary of the toxic effects of lead poisoning. I was really concerned when I read about how lead poisoning n children can affect them much later on in life. Typically,the lead poisoning will lead to some neuro-cognitive deficit, such as early onset dementia, or decreased IQ. Nonetheless, it is shocking that lead may have such long lasting affects on the developing brain.