Question

What are the side effects of an increase in the amount of lead in blood?

Answer 1

Lead is a highly poisonous metal affecting almost every organ in the body. Of all the organs, the nervous system is the mostly affected target in lead toxicity, both in children and adults. The toxicity in children is however of a greater impact than in adults. This is because their tissues, internal as well as external, are softer than in adults. Long-term exposure of adults can result in decreased performance in some tests of cognitive performance that measure functions of the nervous system. Infants and young children are especially sensitive to even low levels of lead, which may contribute to behavioural problems, learning deficits and lowered IQ. Long-time exposure to lead has been reported to cause anaemia, along with an increase in blood pressure, and that mainly in old and middle aged people. Severe damage to the brain and kidneys, both in adults and children, were found to be linked to exposure to heavy lead levels resulting in death. In pregnant women, high exposure to lead may cause miscarriage. Chronic lead exposure was found to reduce fertility in males Blood disorders and damage to the nervous system have a high occurrence in lead toxicity. Anaemia may appear at blood lead levels higher than 50 μg/dL. One of the main reasons for lead poisoning causing anaemia is that lead interferes with the activity of an essential enzyme called delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, or ALAD, which is important in the biosynthesis of heme, the cofactor found in haemoglobin