1. Lead in the Environment Unit 1: Lead and Human Society

2. Lead through history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv8Zl5oh-9s
Picture is hyperlinked

3. Activity 1.1: Pre-assessment
Why might people living in different places at different times have varied levels of lead in their blood?

4. How lead gets into our environment
Mining
Industrial uses of lead
Consumer products
Leaded paint
Lead in gasoline
Lead Mine in Derbyshire, England
Image of mine:
Image of sign:
Leaded gasoline was a major source of exposure during the second half of the 20th century.

5. How much lead is too much?
Environmental Controls in USA
Public education campaigns
Lead hazard reduction and grant programs
Childhood lead screening programs
Some states/cities have passed additional lead prevention policies
Data are from cdc.gov and who.int
BLL threshold for determination of lead poisoning, CDC

6. Even low levels of lead lower IQ
Rick Nevin. (2000). How lead exposure relates to temporal changes in IQ, violent crime, and unwed pregnancy. Environmental Research, 83(1), Retrieved from

7. Behavioral and social effects of lead exposure
Even very low doses have seen adverse behavioral impacts.
Cohort study of 1341 children between ages 3 and 5 in China
Surveyed parents and teachers about children’s behaviors
Tested children’s blood for lead; mean concentration 6.4 mcg/dL
For increase of 1 mcg/dL lead in blood, found significant increase in emotional reactivity, anxiety, and pervasive developmental problems
SOURCE: Liu J, Liu X, Wang W, McCauley L, Pinto-Martin J, Wang Y, Li L, Yan C, Rogan WJ Blood lead levels and children’s behavioral and emotional problems: a cohort study. JAMA Pediatr; doi: /jamapediatrics
Study conducted in a community plagued by lead smelting, Port Pirie, Australia.
SOURCE of graphic: Burns, J. M., Baghurst, P. A., Sawyer, M. G., McMichael, A. J., & Tong, S. (1999). Lifetime low-level exposure to environmental lead and children's emotional and behavioral development at ages years. American Journal of Epidemiology [H.W. Wilson - GS], 149(8), 740.
Burns et al., Lifetime low-level exposure to environmental lead and children’s emotional and behavioral development at ages years. Am J Epi. 149(8).

8. National trends for incidence of lead poisoning

9. Summary: Lead Poisoning
Lead is a natural metal used by humans for thousands of years
These uses put lead into our environment
When lead gets into the body, it damages:
Brain
Soft organs (kidney, heart)
Bones
Lead is most harmful to children
No lower threshold has been found for effects of lead
In general, lead poisoning cannot be treated and cognitive deficits are irreversible
GOAL: reduce or prevent children’s exposure to lead
Following the completion of this presentation, the jeopardy game should be played. If an instructor does not want to utilize jeopardy for any given reason (such as large class size, etc.), activity 1.2 can be completed instead.