Lead poisoning who is at risk

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British Columbia Specific Information While exposure to high levels of lead can cause lead poisoning, even low levels of exposure to lead can be harmful for children's health and development. Top of the page.

Topic Overview What is lead poisoning? What causes lead poisoning? Who is at highest risk of lead poisoning? Children at highest risk include those who: Live in or regularly visit homes or buildings built before These buildings may have lead-based paint. The risk is even higher in buildings built before , when lead-based paint was more commonly used. Are immigrants, refugees, or adoptees from other countries.

Are 6 years old or younger. Young children are at higher risk because: They often put their hands and objects in their mouths. They sometimes swallow non-food items. Their bodies absorb lead at a higher rate. Their brains are developing quickly. Others at risk for lead poisoning include people who: Drink water that flows through pipes that were soldered with lead. Work with lead either in their job or as a hobby for example, metal smelters, pottery makers, and stained glass artists.

Eat food from cans made with lead solder. These types of cans aren't made in Canada or the United States. Cook or store food in ceramic containers. Some ceramic glaze contains lead that may not have been properly fired or cured. Eat or breathe traditional or folk remedies that contain lead, such as some herbs and vitamins from other countries.

Live in communities with a lot of industrial pollution. What are the symptoms? In children , symptoms can include: Slightly lower intelligence and smaller size compared to children of the same age. Behaviour problems, such as acting angry, moody, or hyperactive. Learning problems. Lack of energy, and not feeling hungry. In adults , lead poisoning can cause: Changes in behaviour, mood, personality, and sleep patterns.

Memory loss and trouble thinking clearly. There are over 92, occupied housing units built before in Contra Costa.

Because Contra Costa has experienced such rapid growth in new housing, the percentage of old housing has declined overall. But older housing is not evenly distributed, and even within a community with many newer homes there are areas where high-risk older housing is more concentrated.

Correspondence and reprint requests: Dr. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Abstract Lead poisoning is a major public-health problem in Bangladesh. Collection of data A team consisting of two epidemiologists, three laboratory technicians, and volunteers from the community collected data using a pretested questionnaire.

Measurements of blood lead Samples of venous blood 0. Quality assurance and quality control Fresh, unrefrigerated whole blood without any clots was used for analysis. Open in a separate window. Table 1. Blood lead levels in urban and rural children in Bangladesh. Table 2. Differences in blood lead levels by age-groups.

Age-group years No. Table 3. Table 4. Risk factors for elevated blood lead levels in children in Bangladesh. Risk factor No. Conclusions The challenge is a coordinated effort of the governmental and private agencies to identify specific sources and prevention of lead in the country. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing lead poisoning in young children. Reduced intellectual development in children with prenatal lead exposure.

Environ Health Perspect. Decreased stature associated with moderate blood lead concentrations in Mexican-American children.

Am J Clin Nutr. Occupational lead poisoning. Am Fam Physician. National Research Council. Measuring lead exposure in infants, children, and other sensitive populations. Centers for Disease Control.

Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy people summary of objectives. Environmental health: toxics and waste. EH reduce blood lead levels in children. Washington, DC: U. Department of Health and Human Services; p. Blood lead levels of primary school children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Lead poisoning: an alarming public health problem in Bangladesh. Shannon M, Nader R. The accuracy of a portable instrument for analysis for blood lead in children.

Ambul Child Health. Trace element composition of size fractionated airborne particulate matter in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh. Dhaka: Atomic Energy Centre; Elemental characterization of aerosols in urban and rural locations in Bangladesh. X-Ray Spectrom. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health Lead exposure in children: prevention, detection, and management. Relationship between blood lead concentration and nutritional status among Malay primary school children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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