Lead Poisoning
What Increases Your Risk
Children
Age and environment determine a child's risk for lead poisoning. Young children who live in housing built prior to 1972 are at risk, and those living in homes built before 1950 are at greatest risk.12, 1 Recent or ongoing home renovation can also increase the risk of lead exposure if lead-based paint is being removed. Very young children are more likely to ingest lead by touching or playing in lead-contaminated soil or dust and then putting their hands in their mouths. They may also chew on or lick toys or woodwork, such as windowsills, painted with lead-based paint.
Children who come from low-income families or who live in an inner-city environment are more likely to have high levels of lead in the blood because they are more likely to be exposed to lead-contaminated soil and dust or deteriorated paint in older housing. Children who are adopted from countries such as China where lead exposure is still a problem also may be more likely to develop lead poisoning.7
Babies, toddlers, and young children up to 6 years old are more likely to have problems from lead poisoning because of their:
- Behaviour. Babies and toddlers explore their world by handling, mouthing, chewing, or tasting whatever they find, which may include paint chips or dirt with lead in it. Children also play close to the ground, where they may breathe in lead-contaminated dust.
- Growth stage. Babies and toddlers are easily affected because of their small body size and because their brains and bodies are growing and developing rapidly. In fact, children absorb 3 to 5 times as much lead as adults do.12
Inadequate iron intake is being studied for links to increased absorption of lead. It's possible that increasing iron intake in children at high risk for lead poisoning may slow the absorption of lead.9
Adults
The risk of lead poisoning for adults depends mostly on whether they have jobs or hobbies that involve exposure to lead. It may not always be obvious when there is lead in the workplace. For example, people who work in construction or do remodelling may inhale lead while scraping or sanding wood that has lead-based paint on it. People who work with lead can bring it home on their clothes, shoes, and hair, and expose others in the house. Adults may also be exposed to lead from cups or dishes with ceramic glazes or from natural or traditional remedies or supplements that contain lead. Some cosmetics manufactured outside of Canada and the United States also contain lead.
Consuming homemade liquor, especially "moonshine" made in the southern U.S. in stills that are connected with lead solder, greatly increases the risk of lead poisoning. Between 20% and 90% of this homemade liquor contains dangerous levels of lead.3
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| Author: | Douglas Dana Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: September 26, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology | |
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