The Sources of Lead Poisoning

The Sources of Lead Poisoning Outside Environmental Sources of Lead Poisoning... 

Gibson, J.L., 1904. A plea for painted railings and painted walls of rooms as the source of lead poisoning among Queensland children. Aust. Med. Gazette 23, 149—153. 

Lead poisoning Treatment of lead poisoning in children with blood lead levels above 45 mcg/dL. Not indicated for prophylaxis of lead poisoning in a lead-containing environment always accompany succimer use with identification and removal of the source of lead exposure. 

The metal lead has been used for more than 2,000 years and has been associated with poisoning for much of that time. The ancient peoples who used it were aware of at least some of the symptoms of lead poisoning, for example in 300 bc Hippocrates described a case of lead poisoning. It has been responsible for poisoning in many different ways, including contamination of the human environment, which is probably the most important current source of exposure. 

Intestinal calcium absorption is influenced by dietary factors. Lactose and other sugars increase water absorption, thereby enhancing passive calcium uptake. The effect of lactose is especially valuable because of its presence in milk, a major source of calcium. Lactose also increases absorption of other metal ions. This effect may contribute to the incidence of lead poisoning (plumbism) among young inner-city children exposed to high dietary levels of both lead and lactose. 

Blood lead levels of 10-19 meg/ dl indicates mild lead poisoning which may still cause impaired cognitive development in children. BLLs within this range are usually managed by monitoring which entails repeated testing and physical examination on a three- to four-monthly basis. The source of lead needs to be identified and the steps to reduce lead exposure (discussed above) need to be instigated. 

The successful use of CaNa2EDTA in the treatment of lead poisoning is due, in part, to the capacity of lead to displace calcium from the chelate. Enhanced mobilization and excretion of lead indicate that the metal is accessible to EDTA. Bone provides the primary source of lead that is chelated by CaNa2EDTA. After such chelation, lead is redistributed from soft tissues to the skeleton. 

Lead is present in the dishes, so they could be a source of lead poisoning. The lead is being leached into their food. Place a beverage (such as orange juice) in one of the cups. Analyze the beverage for lead. High levels of lead in the drink, so the dishes are the source of the lead poisoning. 

Oberle (01) commented in the degree of lead poisoning of children in the slums of cities where old paint containing lead is present. Aronow (A7), in a letter, replied that putty was also a likely source of lead in these situations. 

In this book, we will explain the nature and sources of lead poisoning and discuss the basic measures for minimizing the associated risks and damage. In separate chapters we will deal with each major source of lead poisoning in depth and present concrete steps you can take to control each particular source. 

Lead is found everywhere in our environment. The following is a summary of the most common sources of lead poisoning. Those that are the most important are discussed further in later chapters. 

Lead-Based Paint Is the Largest Source of Lead Poisoning Lead in Household Paint... 

As a parent, the best way to minimize the risk of lead poisoning to your child is to eliminate sources of lead from your child s living environment. For a discussion of controlling lead paint and dust hazards, see Chapters 10 through 13. 

Although paint and dust are the most common sources of lead poisoning, there are a number of other sources contributing to the disease. Lead poisoning can be caused by several sources acting in combination, or occasionally by just one less common source, such as water... 

Dirt tracked inside and dust from wear and tear on painted woodwork are ready sources of lead poisoning for your children. Sweeping and dusting can send hazardous lead dust into the air to be breathed by your family or simply settle again on hard surfaces where it can be picked up by children s hands and toys. 

Children are lead poisoned by absorbing lead they are exposed to in their environments. So the first thing to do in response to an elevated blood lead level is to identify and eliminate or reduce the child s exposure to the sources of lead that have caused the elevated blood lead level. 

In the simplest case, the lead source is simply removed from the home. A ceramic mug or traditional remedy responsible for lead poisoning can be handled in this way. If the source is water, the child can be given filtered water rather than drinking straight from the tap. In the case of lead paint in a day-care facility or babysitter s house, the family could find alternative accommodations for child care. Measures you can take to control various sources of lead poisoning are discussed in detail in Chapters 13-16. 

Lead poisoning, however, can be distinguished from most other environmental threats in two very important ways. First, it is very easy to know how much lead a child is absorbing from the environment, and therefore how great the risk is for that child, simply by testing the child s blood. Second, lead poisoning is preventable. In many cases, we can remove sources of lead from the child s environment and thus reduce the threat of lead poisoning. Even in cases where lead sources cannot be completely avoided, there are a number of reasonable steps that we can take to reduce the threat to our children. 

Safety Alert . .. New Source of Lead Poisoning Identified The Refinishers News (June 1995). 

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