Lead & compounds: Health effects
Description
Lead can affect almost every organ and system in the body. Lead toxicity mostly affects the nervous system. Exposure to lead may also cause paralysis in fingers, wrists or ankles. Lead exposure can also cause small increases in blood pressure and may cause anaemia, malnutrition, abdominal pain and colic. High levels of lead can severely damage the brain and kidneys in adults and may cause death.
In pregnant women, exposure to high levels of lead may cause miscarriage. In men, exposure may affect sperm production. Lead can affect a child’s mental and physical growth. Unborn children can be exposed through their mothers. Harmful effects include premature birth, smaller babies, decreased mental ability in the infant, learning difficulties and reduced growth in young children. Some effects may persist beyond childhood.
Entering the body
Lead can enter the body by inhalation or ingestion.
Exposure
Exposure to lead can occur by breathing air or drinking water that contains lead. Water pipes in some older buildings may contain lead solder. Lead based paints deteriorate leaving lead in the dust that can be inhaled. Children can be exposed by eating lead-based paint chips, chewing on objects painted with lead-based paint, or swallowing house dust or soil that contains lead.
You may be exposed to lead as a result of your work where lead
Health guidelines
Workplace exposure:
Currently, the eight-hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure limits are 0.15 milligrams tetramethyl lead per cubic metre of air, 0.1 milligram tetraethyl lead per cubic metre of air, 0.15 milligrams lead arsenate per cubic metre of air, 0.15 milligrams of lead (inorganic dusts and fumes) per cubic metre of air and 0.05 milligrams of lead chromate per cubic metre of air. Consult your state or territory occupational health and safety agency for current sources of information.
Australian drinking water guidelines:
In 2004, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the National Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC) established the following guideline for acceptable water quality:
Based on health considerations, the concentration should not exceed 0.01 milligrams of lead per litre of drinking water.
Key
Links to an another web site
Opens a pop-up window
