- Infants and children under age six are in the biggest risk group for lead poisoning. Youngsters often chew paint chips with lead on them or they get their hands contaminated with lead dust and then put them in their mouths. In addition, their developing bodies absorb lead more easily and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to damage. Because of this, the harm caused is more serious than it would be for older children or adults. Children who live under the poverty line or in old homes are in more danger of eating lead paint chips, because lead in paint was not banned before 1978 and, in many cases, the lead paint has still not been removed in lower-income housing communities. Adults at high risk for lead poisoning are those who have lead amalgams in their teeth or those who work in an environment where there is lead dust, such as a house remodeler, a stained glass maker or a furniture refinisher.
- Lead poisoning can originate from contaminated soil. Settled lead particles from oil or paint are the biggest reasons for soil contamination and soil can stay contaminated for years. Even today, highways and certain urban areas have problems with lead contaminated soil. Household sources of lead poisoning include tap water if you have lead pipes, brass plumbing fixtures or copper pipes joined with lead. The biggest household lead source, however, is lead-based paint used in houses, children's toys and household furniture. Lead-based paint is banned in the United States but it is still used in many foreign countries. Lead is also used in many cosmetics and traditional medicines from India and other South Asian countries.
- Symptoms of lead poisoning in children include irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness or lack of energy, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, paleness and the presence of learning difficulties. Newborn babies can also have lead poisoning symptoms. Slowed growth and learning difficulties can be noticed even in babies, and sometimes these symptoms continue through childhood and beyond.
- Amounts of lead too low to cause symptoms of poisoning can still have long-term risks, which can cause high blood pressure and mental decline. Pain, numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, muscular weakness, headaches, abdominal pain, memory loss, mood disorders and fatigue are all signs of lead poisoning in adults. Symptoms that are more difficult to notice are reduced sperm count or abnormal sperm in men and miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women.
- Elevated levels of lead in the blood can cause several health problems. Anemia, decreased muscle and bone growth, hearing damage, learning disabilities, nervous system and kidney damage, poor muscle coordination and speech, language and behavior problems in children can all be caused by high levels of lead in their blood. For adults, the complications include anemia, cataracts, damage to male reproductive organs, digestive problems, high blood pressure, memory and concentration problems, muscle and joint pain, nerve disorders and pregnancy complications for women.
