1. LEAD Pb Atomic Mass: 207.2 Atomic Number: 82

2. PROBLEM STATMENT Does living in older communities cause a greater risk of lead poisoning?

3. HYPOTHESIS It is believed that families who live in older communities have a higher risk of lead poisoning.

4. BACKGROUND Lead can be ingested from hand to mouth contact. 20% of adults daily lead intake is through water. Lead is found in the pipes which enters the water supply. If inhaled or ingested 5% is stored in the blood and 95% is stored in the bone. Blood lead is short term with a half-life of 20 days, bone lead is much longer with a half-life of 600 to 3000 days.

5. BACKGROUND CONTINUED… When blood lead is depleted, it is continually replaced with the lead from the bone, but the half- life will decrease. Lead can cause anemia, high blood pressure, kidney damage, miscarriages and subtle abortions,disruption of nervous system, brain damage,sperm damage, diminished learning abilities of children.

6. Data FAMILY Petersons(child) Hernandez(child) Pierre(child) Child blood lead level 16mg/dl 24.5mg/dl 19mg/dl

7. CONCLUSION It is shown that families who live in older communities are at a higher risk for lead poisoning due to the ageing environment such as houses,playgrounds, and other surroundings. If someone is suffering from lead poisoning he/she must be removed from the source(change in work conditions, staying away from hobbies which have anything to do with lead). Chelating agents are treatments which form complexes with the lead and prevent it from binding to other cell constituents.

8. CONCLUSION CONTINUED…. The most widely used chelate is sodium calcium edetate which exchanges calcium for lead and is very effective at keeping the lead from the bone. Dimercaptosuccinic acid is the mainstay of the treatment of childhood lead poisoning, this treatment mobilizes lead from soft tissue.