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Health Effects of Lead Exposure

  1. Colic can be a symptom of lead poisoning in children.1
  2. Hearing acuity particularly at higher frequencies has been found to diminish with increased blood lead levels. An increase in blood lead from 6 µg/dL to 18 µg/dL has been associated with a 2 decibel loss in hearing at all frequencies.2
  3. There is a slowing of motor nerve conduction velocity in children with blood lead levels as low as 20-25 m g/dL. This slowing is presumed to be due to demyelination of the motor nerves, as is the case with high blood lead levels.3
  4. Lead inhibits several enzymes that are critical to the synthesis of heme. Heme is the iron-containing portion of the hemoglobin molecule necessary for the transport of oxygen to cells. In chronic lead poisoning, lead induces anemia by interfering with erythropoiesis (red blood cell formation) and by diminishing red blood cell survival.4
  5. Lead interferes with a hormonal form of vitamin D which affects multiple processes in the body, including cell maturation and skeletal growth.5
  6. Kidney function can be comprised due to chronic lead exposure.6 Tubular damage may occur in children at blood lead levels of less than 40 micrograms per decilitre.7
  7. Lead induced chronic renal insufficiency may result in gout.8 Gout is a form of arthritis characterized by an inflammation of the joints (usually the knee or the foot.)
  8. There is an increased frequency of miscarriages and still births among women working in lead trades. There is some evidence that prenatal exposure of the fetus contributes to low birth weight, and premature birth. Effects on male human reproduction are not well documented but available data suggest a relationship to reduced sperm count and motility from chronic exposure to lead.9
  9. Lead lowers the body’s immune system ability.10
  10. Soluble salts such as lead acetate and lead phosphate have been reported to cause kidney tumors in rats.11
  11. As part of the aging process, lead is released from bones along with calcium and other minerals. The amount of lead found in seniors in Canada is found to elevated.12 Risk factors associated with osteoporosis include exposure to lead.13
  12. Lead interferes with normal calcium metabolism causing intracellular calcium buildup.14
  13. There is evidence for a cause and effect relationship between high blood pressure and lead toxicity.15, 16 Animal studies suggest this is due to the disturbance in calcium metabolism which modulates vascular tone.17 Lead also alters the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis.18
  14. Chronic lead poisoning may also be associated with myocarditis, characterized by chest pain (angina pectoris saturnina), tachycardia, (fast heart rate) ventricular gallop, pulmonary congestion, hypertension, ST-T abnormalities and premature ventricular contraction on the ECG.19
  15. Lead poisoned men have decreased sperm counts and higher rates of abnormal sperm at levels as low as 40 micrograms per decilitre of lead in blood.20
  16. Chronic low-level lead exposure produces subtle changes in auditory and visual processing in animal studies.21
  17. There may be an association between higher body burdens of lead and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).22
  18. Workers chronically exposed to lead in their workplace have a 1.9 times greater chance of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.23

Endnotes

(1) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Lead (Update). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1998; p. 45, p.268.

(2) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Lead (Update). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1998; p.90.

(3) Schwartz J, Landrigan PG, Feldman RG et al. Threshold effect in lead induced peripheral neuropathy. J. Pediatrics 1998;112:12-17.

(4) ATSDR – Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Lead Toxicity, (Sept. 30, 1997_ http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/HEC/caselead.html#physiologic effects.

(5) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Lead (Update). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1998; p.60.

(6) Fels LM, Wunsch M, Baranowski J, Norska-Borowka I,et al. Adverse effects of chronic low level lead exposure on kidney function – a risk group study in children. Nephrol Dial Transplant 1998;13:(9):2248-56.

(7) Verberk MM, Willems TE, Verplanke AJ, et al. Envrionmental lead and renal effects in children. Arch Envrion Health 1996;51(1):83-87.

(8) ATSDR – Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Lead Toxicity. (Sept 30, 1997) http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/HEC/caselead.html#physiologic effects.

(9) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Lead (Update). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1998; p.

(10) Bernier J, Brousseau P, Krzystniak K, Tryphonas H, Fournier M. Immunotoxicity of Heavy Metals in relation to Great Lakes. Environ Health Perspect 1995 103 (Suppl 9): S23-S34

(11) ATSDR – Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Lead Toxicity. (Sept 30, 1997) http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/HEC/caselead.html#physiologic effects.

(12) Gamblin C, Gordon CL, Muir DCF, Chettle DR and Webber CE. In vivo measurements of bone lead content in residents of Southern Ontario. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 1994;45:1035-1038.

(13) Goyer RA, Epstein S, Bhattacharyya MH, Korach K and Pounds J. Environmental Risk Factors for osteoporosis Environ. Health Perspect. 1994;102:390-394.

(14) Shannon MW. Lead. In: Haddad LM, Shannon MW and Winchester JF (Eds.) Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose 3rd ed. Philadelphia: WB. Saunders Co. 1998. P. 767-783.

(15) Pirkle JL, Schwartz J, Landis JR and Harlan WR. The relationship between blood lead levels and blood presssure and its cardiovascular risk implications. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1985;121:246-258.

(16) Hu H, Aro A, Payton M, et al. The relationship of bone and blood lead to hypertension. The normative study. JAMA 1996(275):1171-1176.

(17) Shannon MW. Lead. In: Haddad LM, Shannon MW and Winchester JF (Eds.) Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose 3rd ed. Philadelphia: WB. Saunders Co. 1998. P. 767-783.

(18) Nadig R. Lead. In: Goldfrank LF, Flomenbaum NE, Lewin NA, Weisman RS et. al (Eds.) Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies 5th Ed. Norwalk Conn: Appleton and Lange.

(19) Benowitz NL and Goldschlager N. Cardiac disturbances. In: Haddad LM, Shannon MW and Winchester JF (Eds.) Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose 3rd ed. Philadelphia: WB. Saunders Co. 1998. p. 90-119.

(20) Shannon MW. Lead. In: Haddad LM, Shannon MW and Winchester JF (Eds.) Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose 3rd ed. Philadelphia: WB. Saunders Co. 1998. P. 767-783.

(21) Otto DA, Fox DA. Auditory and visual dysfunction following lead exposure. Neurotoxicology 1993;14(2-4):191-207.

(22) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Lead (Update). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1998; p.34

(23) Epidemiology 2002;13:311-319.

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