Medical Description

Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth’s crust. It is spread through the environment in many ways: lead used to be in paint and gasoline, and 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 containing lead can cause many health problems.

In adults, lead poisoning can increase blood pressure and cause infertility, nerve disorders and muscle and joint pain. It can also cause irritability and affect concentration and memory.

Lead poisoning 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.

Scientists have known for a long time that lead, like calcium, is stored in our bones. But only recently did they discover that long-stored lead leaches into the blood whenever the bones release calcium – typically during pregnancy, breast-feeding, menopause and, for both men and women, old age.

After being released from the bones into the blood, lead’s poisonous effects can spread throughout the body, and may contribute to ailments associated with aging, like hypertension, kidney disease and possibly dementia.

Lead can also seep into the womb and in breast milk, exposing developing babies when their brains are most vulnerable.

Scientists also found that postmenopausal women have significantly higher levels of blood lead than younger women, and these levels may rise as much as 25 percent in the five years after menopause. Men are affected, as well. They also lose bone mass as they age, and older men with high lead levels are more likely to develop kidney problems.

Symptoms

• stomachache and cramps
• irritability
• fatigue
• frequent vomiting
• constipation
• poor appetite
• headache
• insomnia

General Information

Lead is a soft metal that is especially toxic to young children, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened or otherwise compromised immune system. Toxic exposure in children, the fetuses of pregnant women or the elderly can lead to:

• memory loss,
• forgetfulness,
• learning disabilities,
• attention deficit disorders
• behavioral problems
• stunted growth
• impaired hearing
• kidney damage
• permanent brain damage

At high and continuous levels of exposure, children have died from lead poisoning. Lead poisoning has also been associated with criminal behavior and juvenile delinquency. Symptoms of lead poisoning in children may be hard to identify because they mimic many other illnesses. A test for lead poisoning includes a blood lead test, a red blood cell count to check for anemia, or low red blood cell count, a complete physical examination, and a thorough neurological examination.

Sources: National Safety Council Fact Sheet, “Lead Poisoning”, accessed December 22, 2006; National Network for Child Care, “Lead Exposure in the Home,” September 1998, accessed December 22, 2006; Patient Page, “Lead Poisoning,” Journal of the American Medical Association 293:18, May 11, 2005, accessed December 22. 2006; “Lead Poisoning,” MedlinePlus Information page, August 15, 2007, accessed August 16, 1007.

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