Touro University International
BHE314
Module 4 Case: Environmental Health and Safety

Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in the earth's crust. Lead can be found everywhere, because of human activities such as burning fossil fuels, mining, and manufacturing. Lead is a soft, heavy, toxic metal. Lead is found in many products we use every day, it is even found in toys. It is also in the paint in many houses and in some dirt and dust. Lead Poisoning means having lead in the body in an amount that can cause serious health and development problems. It is much more dangerous for children than adults because it affects kids’ developing brains and nervous systems. The younger the child, the more harm lead can cause. Lead can cause serious health effects: kidney problems, anemia, hearing loss, development delay and growth problems. The only way to know for sure if you have lead poisoning is to have blood test.
People who are most at risk of harmful effects from lead in their body include (Risk Factor, 2010):
Babies and children under 6 years of age. Infants and young children are more likely to be exposed to lead than are older children. They may chew paint chips, and their hands may be contaminated with lead dust. Young children also absorb lead more easily and sustain more harm from it than do adults and older children.
Children living in older homes. Although the use of lead-based paints has been banned since the 1970s, older homes and buildings often retain remnants of this paint.
Children living below the poverty level. Although any child can be exposed to lead, children from low-income families are disproportionately affected, often because they live in older or unrenovated housing. Nonwhite children tend to have higher rates of lead poisoning.
People with lead amalgams in their teeth. Although lead is no longer used to