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Lead |
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Lead adversely affects numerous body systems and causes forms of health impairment
and disease that arise after periods of exposure as short as days (acute exposure)
or as long as several years (chronic exposure). The frequency and severity of medical
symptoms increases with the concentration of lead in the blood. Common symptoms of
acute lead poisoning are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, constipation,
difficulty in sleeping, fatique, moodiness, headache, joint or muscle aches, anemia, and
decreased sexual drive. Acute health poisoning from uncontrolled occupational exposures
has resulted in fatalities. Long term (chronic) overexposure to lead may result in severe
damage to the blood-forming, nervous, urinary, and reproductive systems.
The following references provide information on the health effects of
lead.
Report on Carcinogens (RoC). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),
National Toxicology Program (NTP). Identifies and discusses agents, substances,
mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a hazard to human health by
virtue of their carcinogenicity.
- Lead (CAS No. 7439-92-1) and Lead Compounds. Section III, Substance Profiles, 161
KB PDF, 4 pages.
Public
Health Statement for Lead. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), (2005, September).
Provides exposure risks, exposure limits, and health effects.
Case
Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM): Lead Toxicity. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR),
(2000,
October).
Lead in
Paint, Dust, and Soil. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Provides information on environmental lead
poisoning and prevention for health professionals and the public at large.
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National
Lead Information Center (NLIC). Provides information on lead exposure and related links to several
US agencies, allowing the general public and professionals to find
information about lead hazards and their prevention.
Lead
Compounds. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Technology Transfer
Network Air Toxics.
Presents a summary of occupational lead hazards.
Lead
and compounds (inorganic) (CASRN 7439-92-1).
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Contains chemical health risk assessments and regulatory information.
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