| Lead is a highly toxic metal found in small amounts in | | | | and animals are also equally contaminated with lead |
| the earth's crust. Because of its relative abundance, | | | | and may enter our food chain. Even our pets can |
| low cost, and physical properties, lead and lead based | | | | come into contact with lead-contaminated soil and |
| compounds are frequently used in a wide variety of | | | | cause human exposure to lead. |
| products including paint, ceramics, pipes, solders, | | | | The symptoms of chronic lead poisoning include |
| gasoline, batteries, and cosmetics. | | | | neurological problems, such as reduced cognitive |
| Both adults and children can suffer from the effects of | | | | abilities, or nausea, abdominal pain, irritability, insomnia, |
| lead poisoning, but childhood lead poisoning is much | | | | metal taste in oral cavity, excess lethargy or |
| more frequent. Lead poisoning leads to a medical | | | | hyperactivity, headache and, in extreme cases, seizure |
| condition, also known as saturnism or plumbism (which | | | | and coma. |
| is a toxic condition produced by the absorption of | | | | Lead is known to affect peripheral and central nervous |
| excessive lead into the system) or painter's colic, | | | | system. The most common sign of peripheral |
| caused by increased blood lead levels. Lead may | | | | neuropathy due to chronic lead poisoning is painless |
| cause irreversible neurological damage as well as renal | | | | wristdrop i.e. weakness of the extensor muscles of |
| disease, cardiovascular effects, and reproductive | | | | hand which usually develops after many weeks of |
| toxicity. | | | | exposure to lead. A direct link between early lead |
| Lead contamination can happen through deteriorating | | | | exposure & learning disability has been confirmed by |
| paint, household dust, bare soil, air, drinking water, food, | | | | multiple studies & child advocacy groups. |
| ceramics, home remedies, hair dyes and other | | | | In humans, lead toxicity sometimes causes the |
| cosmetics. While lead paint that is in intact condition | | | | formation of a bluish line along the gums, which is |
| does not pose an immediate concern, lead paint that is | | | | known as the "Burton's line", although it is quite |
| allowed to deteriorate creating a lead-based paint | | | | uncommon in teenagers. Blood film examination may |
| hazard. It can contaminate household dust as well as | | | | reveal "basophilic stippling" of red blood cells, as well as |
| bare soil around the house. In either situation, any | | | | the changes normally associated with iron deficiency |
| person or animal that comes into contact with | | | | anemia i.e. microcytosis & hypochromia. |
| lead-contaminated dust or soil is easily poisoned. All it | | | | Lead has no known biological role in the body. The |
| takes is the lead dust equivalent of a single grain of | | | | toxicity comes from its ability to mimic other biologically |
| salt for a child to register an elevated blood lead level. | | | | important metals, the most notable of which are |
| The lead produced by vehicle emissions continue to | | | | calcium, iron and zinc. Lead is able to bind to and |
| pose a serious threat even today as lead use goes | | | | interact with the same proteins and molecules which |
| unchecked in many countries across the globe. Much | | | | can bind with metals and this interaction may cause |
| of the lead emitted by vehicles is directly inhaled by | | | | those molecules to function differently. As a result, |
| humans and a significant part remains in the soil where | | | | some set of reactions fail to attain completion e.g. |
| it keeps on accumulating over the years, especially | | | | disability of an enzyme function which is necessary for |
| near busy roads & highways. Not just humans, plants | | | | certain biological process. |