Lead Exposure Essay

Exposure to lead has been proven to be a large public health concern. For the purposes of this paper, I am going to introduce what lead is, how people are exposed to lead, and the physiologic effects of lead exposure, focusing on acute lead toxicity, but more specifically, on chronic low level lead toxicity. The supplementation of 3 studies shows the relationship between lead exposure and one of these physiologic effects in children, specifically intelligence as measured by IQ scores. Lead is a metal that can be traced throughout the environment. Although lead occurs naturally in the environment, the increasing presence of lead, and therefore the exposure humans experience with lead, comes as a result of many human behaviors and hobbies.
Most adult exposures are occupational and occur in lead-related industries as mentioned earlier. One frequent source of lead exposure to adults is home renovation. Adults can also be exposed during activities where lead is used, like target shooting and car repair. Workers may inhale lead dust, as well as ingest food near contaminated areas. If showers and changes of clothing are not provided or accessible, employees can bring lead dust home, which can expose family members. This is referred to as secondary exposure. The health effects experienced by adults from exposure are similar to those experienced by children, although adult thresholds are generally higher. The exception is that adults don’t experience the lasting developmental effects children
For the purposes of this project, I focused on children as adults tend to have a higher threshold and I was looking at long-term effects of lead exposure. The most conclusive studies were those that used children. In children, the signs and symptoms are more obvious due to checkups and screenings. There are also more routes of exposure due to children’s behavior, as mentioned earlier. I also decided to focus specifically on the neurological symptoms associated with lead exposure because these health impacts can follow children into adulthood, but it’s important to know that lead exposure effects all systems of the