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Lead poisoning is caused by the absorption of lead into the body through breathing and eating, (inhalation and ingestion). Lead can slowly cause irreversible damage, first to individual cells, then to the organs and whole body systems.
A large dose of lead can cause a condition affecting the brain called acute encephalopathy which can lead to seizures, coma, and death.
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"Some common symptoms of chronic overexposure include loss of
appetite, metallic taste in the mouth, anxiety, constipation, nausea,
pallor, excessive tiredness, weakness, insomnia, headache, nervous
irritability, muscle and joint pain or soreness, fine tremors,
numbness, dizziness, hyperactivity and colic. In lead colic there may
be severe abdominal pain." (From the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act's (WISHA), Standard for Inorganic Lead in the Construction Industry, WAC 296-155-17650 (2)(b)(i)and(ii)) |
Symptoms of childhood lead exposure are loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, anemia, and abdominal pain. These symptoms are not obvious and are frequently attributed to common childhood illnesses or behavior problems.
There is no sharp dividing line between rapidly developing acute effects of lead, and chronic effects which take longer to acquire. Lead adversely affects numerous body systems, and causes forms of health impairment and disease which arise after periods of exposure as short as days or as long as several years.
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"Chronic overexposure to lead may result in severe damage to
your blood-forming, nervous, urinary and reproductive systems." (From the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act's (WISHA), Standard for Inorganic Lead in the Construction Industry, WAC 296-155-17650 (2)(b)(i)and(ii)) |
Long term effects of lead exposure in a child can be severe. They include learning disabilities, decreased growth, hyperactivity, impaired hearing, and even brain damage. If caught early, these effects can be limited by reducing exposure to lead or by medical treatment.
The Standard for Lead in Construction, WAC 296-155-176 is available though the Department of Labor and Industries which enforces WISHA:
Search the WAC Regulations Online under the Washington Department of Labor and Industries Publications homepage at http://www.wa.gov/lni/ Exit Ecology, or
Call (WISHA or L&I) at (360) 902-5500 to obtain a free copy, or to ask for a free, no penalties, consultation on the requirements of the lead standard.
The human body cannot use lead but will absorb and store it, as if it was calcium or phosphorus. People can excrete a certain amount of the lead they breathe or swallow. Adults can excrete lead far better then children.
Under continuous exposure, lead is stored in the various organs and tissues, especially the bones and teeth. The amount of lead stored in a person's body is called their 'body burden'.
Several factors seem to influence the amount of lead that is absorbed and stored:
| Increased Lead Absorption | Decreased Lead Absorption | |
| Diet | Regular milk, lactose, some proteins, some lipids and vitamin D | High levels of zinc, copper, phosphorus, calcium, and iron |
| Hunger | An empty stomach | A full stomach. |
| Cigarette smoke | Cadmium and mercury in the smoke increase lead absorption | |
| Hand washing | Before meals or handling food | |
| Diseases | Alcoholism, sickle cell anemia, porphyria, and kidney diseases |