Lead exposure still poses health risks for millions worldwide, study finds
By Dr. Chinta Sidharthan Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLMNov 4 2024
Persistent lead exposure linked to cognitive decline, heart disease, and developmental issuesâposing ongoing risks despite decades of reduction efforts.
In a recent review published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that lead poisoning continued to be a serious health concern despite significant reductions in lead exposure since the 1970s.
Modern levels of lead pose substantial risks of cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, pre-term births, and kidney disease.
Modern sources of lead exposure
Historical descriptions of lead poisoning, or plumbism, date as far back as 50 AD to Dioscoridesâ De Materia Medica. Although lead exposure levels have decreased significantly since then, with close to 95% reductions observed since the 1970s, the lead levels in the human body today continue to be higher than what was observed in the pre-industrial periods.
Severe lead poisoning begins with headaches, fatigue, irritability, and intense abdominal pain, and high levels of lead in the blood can lead to brain swelling, seizures, and death.
Furthermore, while modern restrictions and safety regulations have reduced the use of lead in Europe and the United States, remnants of lead persist in the environment, in contaminated soil, old house paint, older water lines, and due to industrial emissions.
Battery manufacturing processes, smelting, and improperly discarded electronic waste also introduce lead into the environment in many developing countries. The adoption of leaded gasoline in the 20th century to improve the performance of engines also led to widespread lead contamination in the environment.
Consumer items such as cosmetics, ceramics, and paints were also sources of lead contamination. The geochemist Clair Patterson found that the lead levels in the bones lead levels of individuals living in the industrialized periods were a thousand times that of people who lived in the pre-industrialized periods.
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