Through various sources such as dust, paint, soil, water, or food—prolonged accumulation or short-term excessive exposure, contact, ingestion, or consumption of lead-containing substances can lead to lead poisoning. The human body does not naturally contain lead. Lead is a harmful inorganic heavy metal that can damage any organ in the body, with the greatest impact on children and pregnant women. The dangers of lead poisoning are becoming increasingly recognized. If children absorb excessive amounts of lead, it can lead to symptoms such as slow learning, hyperactivity, hearing loss, mental retardation, loss of appetite, and developmental delays. Pregnant women may experience side effects such as miscarriages, infertility, or mental retardation in their infants. For adults, lead poisoning can also cause high blood pressure, anemia, kidney failure, memory loss, and damage to the nervous and digestive systems. In severe cases, it can be fatal.

Lead can contaminate drinking water by leaching from municipal water pipes, indoor plumbing, and faucets; even lead-free copper pipes may have been soldered with lead. According to reports, most interior walls in buildings constructed before 1978 were painted with lead-based paint. Certain medications, vitamins, and food or juice cans may also contain lead.

The symptoms of lead poisoning are not obvious and may be mistaken for other illnesses. As lead poisoning becomes more severe, patients may experience a loss of appetite, fatigue, headaches, tooth decay, insomnia, and memory loss, among several other problems.

Surgery cannot remove lead from the body. To prevent lead poisoning, one should avoid and eliminate sources of lead, maintain a balanced diet with adequate nutrition, and ensure the body has sufficient iron, organic calcium, and vitamin C. This can help prevent and treat mild cases of lead poisoning; however, severe cases require treatment with medications (chelating agents). These medications bind to lead in the body, allowing it to be excreted through the kidneys in urine. This process can eliminate lead and repair damage caused by elevated blood lead levels; however, it cannot reverse damage already done to the central nervous system or the digestive system. This treatment is not yet fully understood in the medical space, so a specialist must carefully control the dosage and duration of treatment to avoid medication-related side effects.

Keep children away from lead! In fact, anyone can develop lead poisoning, but children are most vulnerable—especially those aged 1 to 5, who frequently put their hands and other objects in their mouths or swallow non-edible substances. Lead poisoning most readily damages children’s rapidly developing brains and internal organs.
Other high-risk groups include those who regularly drink water from lead-containing pipes, consume canned foods (which may contain lead), use lead-containing cosmetics, vitamins, or herbal remedies, live in areas with industrial waste emissions, or have occupations or hobbies such as auto mechanics, battery factory workers, metal smelting plant workers, demolition workers, plastic bag printers, indoor shooting range users, fishing enthusiasts, and stained-glass artists, all of whom are at risk of lead poisoning.

If you suspect your water supply is contaminated with lead, you should seek expert advice and have the water tested. Do not, for the sake of convenience, use water directly from hot water pipes for cooking or drinking, as hot water can leach lead from the pipes into your water. Before consuming your water, let the cold water run for a few minutes. Do not boil water for more than five minutes, as this concentrates lead; the best approach is to install an effective lead-removal water filter in your home.

If you suspect that you or a family member is suffering from lead poisoning, you should immediately contact your family doctor to arrange for testing and treatment.

By Michael Chiu, MWS, CI
Previously published in Ming Pao Daily News