Results of lead research: prenatal exposure and neurological consequences.

Abstract

The history of advances in the understanding of the toxic effects of lead over the past 20 years is an outstanding example of how knowledge learned from research can impact public health. Measures that have had the greatest impact on reducing exposure to lead are reduction of lead from gasoline, elimination of lead solder from canned food, removal of lead from paint, and abatement of housing containing lead-based paint. Nevertheless, continuing factors that enhance risk to lead exposure, particularly during fetal life, are low socioeconomic status, old housing with lead-containing paint, and less than ideal nutrition, particularly low dietary intake of calcium, iron, and zinc. Prenatal exposure may result from endogenous sources such as lead in the maternal skeletal system or maternal exposures from diet and the environment. Experimental studies have shown that the developing nervous system is particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of lead and that a large number of the effects in the nervous system are due to interference of lead with biochemical functions dependent on calcium ions and impairment of neuronal connections dependent on dendritic pruning. There is need for more study to determine whether these effects are a continuum of prenatal lead exposure or whether prenatal exposure to lead produces unique effects.Imagesp1050-aFigure 1. AFigure 1. BFigure 2.Figure 3.

Bleibelastung durch Trinkwasser Teil I: Einfluss auf den Blutbleispiegel junger Frauen

“…Zum einen ist eine aktuelle Bleiexposition unerwünscht, zum anderen sollte einer langfristigen Akkumulation des Schwermetalls im Knochen entgegengewirkt werden [5], um einer möglichen Freisetzung bei gesteigertem Mineralstoffwechsel, wie z. B. in der Schwangerschaft, vorzubeugen [6].…”

Bleibelastung durch Trinkwasser Teil II: Effekt verschiedener Präventionsstrategien

“…Eine Zufuhr von Blei ist insbesondere wegen der neurotoxischen Wirkungen im Niedrigdosisbereich bei Säuglingen und Kleinkindern gesundheitlich unerwünscht [3,4] …”

Heavy metal pollution of ambient air in Nagpur City

“…Heavy metals are now correlated with a number of health effects such as cancer, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity and cardio toxicity leading to increased morbidity/mortality in community (Dockery et al 1993;Pope III et al 1995;Silbergeld 1995Silbergeld , 1996. Therefore, study of heavy metals in air of major cities is significant in air pollution studies (Goyer 1996;Donaldson and MacNee 1998;Singh 2001).…”