1. Effects of Lead on Health
Mehrdad Mostaghaci M.D.

2. Learning Objectives In this section you will learn:
How lead enters the body
How children are affected by lead
How lead levels in the body are measured
How lead poisoning can be prevented
Slide 2.
Introduce Chapter 2. Remember to keep medical jargon to a minimum. Keep it simple and explain/define acronyms. 2

3. Routes of Exposure to Lead
Eating (Ingestion)
Lead particles on hands transferred to food, drinks, cigarettes
Breathing (Inhalation)
Lead particles in the air
Slide 3.
Stress the importance of washing hands while on the abatement site before eating, drinking, smoking or putting fingers into mouths.
Explain hand-to-mouth action commonly observed in children and how this increases their ingestion of lead.
Mention that lead particles can also be emitted into the air through prohibited abatement practices such as flame burning or dry sanding. 3

4. How Lead Can Harm Your Body
Heart and Blood System
Lead attaches to red blood cells
Prevents cells from carrying oxygen
Damages the red blood cells
Reduces ability to make more red blood cells
May cause high blood pressure
Slide 4. 4

5. How Lead Can Harm Your Body
Kidneys
65% of lead in blood is filtered in kidneys
Lead can damage kidneys
Often damage is not detected until it’s too late
Can cause kidney failure
Slide 5. 5

6. How Lead Can Harm Your Body
Nervous System
Most affected by lead
Damage can be permanent
Lead can damage the brain and destroy brain cells
Damage can result in depression, irritability, forgetfulness, clumsiness, learning disability
High exposure can result in hallucinations, coma, and even death
Slide 6. 6

7. How Lead Can Harm Your Body
Bone Tissue
Lead from blood is deposited in bones
Prevents calcium release into blood
Blocks production of new blood cells
Bones and teeth store 95% of lead in body
Stored in bone tissues for over 30 years
Under stress, lead is released from bone tissue
Slide 7.
Define the “body burden” concept.
Explain how lead can be released from the bone back into the blood when the body is stressed and how this can cause an increase in the BLL test result even if a person was not recently exposed to lead. 7

8. How Lead Can Harm Your Body
Female Reproductive Health & Pregnancy
Reduces fertility
Affects menstruation and menopause
During pregnancy, body absorbs blood lead more quickly (50% of inhaled/ingested lead)
Lead passes through placenta to fetus
May cause brain damage to fetus
May cause miscarriage or premature birth
May be released from bones back to blood
Slide 8. 8

9. How Lead Can Harm Your Body
Male Reproductive System
Decreased libido
Infertility
Damage to sperm, decreased motility
Increases spouses chance of miscarriage, premature birth, and birth defects in child
Slide 9. 9

10. How Lead Can Harm Your Body
Children
Small doses of lead are dangerous
Toddlers (1-3 years) especially at risk because they crawl on floors and put things in mouth
May affect ability to learn
Poor muscle and bone development
Coordination problems
Speech and language problems
Slide 10.
Emphasize that all children under 6 years of age are at risk, but those from 1-3 years are most at risk. 10

11. Testing for Lead in the Body
Blood lead level - amount of lead in the blood
Blood lead level (BLL) test
Zinc protporphyrin (ZPP) test
BLL test shows exposure within last 6-8 weeks (g/dL)
ZPP is produced when lead blocks formation of blood (not as accurate as BLL test)
Slide 13. 13

12. Understanding Units A microgram (g) is a measure of weight.
1,000,000 g = 1 gram (g)
A penny weighs about 2 grams
If a penny is cut into 2 million pieces, one piece would weigh 1 g
A deciliter (dL) is a measure of volume.
1 dL = about 1/2 cup
A person weighing 165 pounds has about 60 deciliters of blood
Slide 14.
Illustrating these units may be helpful to course participants. 14

13. Possible Health Effects
Child Reactions to Lead
Blood
Lead Level
Possible Health Effects
10 g/dL
20 g/dL
40 g/dL
50 g/dL
100 g/dL
and over
Slight loss in IQ; hearing and growth problems
Moderate loss in IQ; hyperactivity; poor attention span; difficulty learning; language and speech problems; slower reflexes
Poor bone and muscle development; clumsiness; lack of coordination; early anemia; decreased red blood cells; tiredness; drowsiness
Stomach aches and cramps; anemia; destruction of red blood cells; brain damage
Swelling of brain; seizures; coma; death
Slide 16. 16

14. Preventing Lead Poisoning
Abatement—remove the lead hazard permanently
Interim controls—control the lead hazard until abatement
Use safe work practices during a lead abatement project
Don’t create a lead hazard while you work
Eat a balanced diet
Slide 17.
Discuss how workers can contribute to lead poisoning prevention.
Emphasize the importance of good hygiene habits on the jobsite. Workers can bring lead dust home to their families if work clothes are not left at the jobsite or are not properly decontaminated.
Several videos may be useful to illustrate this point, including the National Demolition Contractor’s Association’s “Lead Safety in the Demolition Industry.” This video (available in both English and Spanish) can be obtained by contacting:
The National Association of Demolition Contractors
16 North Franklin Street
Suite 200-B
Doylestown, PA 17

15. Good Nutrition
Diets high in iron and calcium can reduce lead absorption by the body
Eat foods high in iron
Cheese, fish, meat, eggs, spinach, beans, raisins, almonds, etc.
Eat foods high in calcium
Milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, bread, fish, meat, beans, broccoli, fruits, nuts, etc.
Slide 18.
Explain how certain vitamin deficiencies actually increase the amount of lead that is absorbed into the body. 18