In: Biology
1.Why is lead contamination a concern for
environmental health experts?
2.State 2 incidents of mass poisoning of humans that involved
arsenic.
3.What are some of the medical uses of mercury? And what is the
aspects of bioaccumulation of mercury?
1.Why is lead contamination a concern for environmental health experts?
Lead is highly toxic for human beings. The individuals are exposed to lead via contamination in air, water, food, dust, or consumer products. Certain occupations are more hazardous in terms of lead toxicity due to the high level of lead exposure during the working hours. The children are comparatively more exposed to lead toxicity due to their tendency to keep things in their mouth.
Lead toxicity adversely affects both the central and the peripheral nervous system, kidneys, cardiovascular system as well as the reproductive system of the subject. The symptoms of the lead toxicity include a headache, memory loss, abdominal pain, constipation, tinglings in the limbs, and sterilization. In severe cases, anemia, seizures, coma or even death is possible.
The lead toxicity can be prevented by limiting the exposure of the lead to the population. However, the addition of tetraethyl lead in the gasoline in the 1920s worsened the lead levels in the air. According to the reports of the WHO, in 2015 lead toxicity caused approximately 495,500 deaths.