Lead poisoning causes

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aksiniya Stevasarova, M.D.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Common causes of lead poisoning include ingestion, inhalation and skin exposure to lead and lead particles.

Causes[edit | edit source]

Life-threatening Causes[edit | edit source]

• Life-threatening causes include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.
• Life-threatening causes of lead poisoning include ingestion of lead base paint by small children, eventually leading to seizures, unconsciousness, coma and even death.

Common Causes[edit | edit source]

Lead poisoning may be caused by:

• Occupational hazards
  • In adults, occupational exposure is the main cause of lead poisoning.People can be exposed when working in facilities that produce a variety of lead-containing products; these include radiation shields, ammunition, certain surgical equipment, developing dental x-ray films prior to digital x-rays, fetal monitors, plumbing, circuit boards, jet engines, and ceramic glazes, lead miners and smelters, plumbers and fitters, auto mechanics, glass manufacturers, construction workers, battery manufacturers and recyclers, firing range instructors, and plastic manufacturers are at risk for lead exposure.^{[1] [2] [2] [3]}

• Ingestion of lead contaminated soil
  • Tetraethyllead, which used to be added to automotive gasoline (and still is added to some aviation gasolines), contributed to soil contamination. Residual lead in soil contributes to lead exposure in urban areas.^[4]

• Ingestion of lead dust or chips from deteriorating lead-based paints.
  • Lead compounds are very colorful and are used widely in paints, ^[5] and lead paint is a major route of lead exposure in children.^[6] A study conducted in 1998–2000 found that 38 million housing units in the US had lead-based paint, down from a 1990 estimate of 64 million.^[7] Deteriorating lead paint can produce dangerous lead levels in household dust and soil.^[8] Deteriorating lead paint and lead-containing household dust are the main causes of chronic lead poisoning.^[9] The lead breaks down into the dust and since children are more prone to crawling on the floor, it is easily ingested.^[7]

• Drinking tap water.
  • It can come from plumbing and fixtures that are either made of lead or have trace amounts of lead in them.^{[10] [11][12]}

Less Common Causes[edit | edit source]

Less common causes of lead poisoning include exposure to metallic lead via:

• • Imported cosmetics such as Kohl and Surma
  • Folk remedies like Azarcon which contains 95 percent lead and is used to "cure" empacho.
  • Contracted through the mucous membranes through direct contact to mouth, nose, eyes, and breaks in skin.

Genetic Causes[edit | edit source]

• Lead poisoning is not caused by a mutation in any gene.
• On the other hand so far three polymorphic genes have been identified to be able to potentially influence the bioaccumulation and toxicokinetics of lead in humans. These genes are delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) gene, the hemochromatosis gene and the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Their relation to susceptibility especially to lead nephrotoxicity in high lead-exposed workers has been established. ^{[13] [14]}
• Delta -aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) plays an important role in lead poisoning, and polymorphisms in the ALAD gene might affect the symptoms the individual patients experience. ^[15]

Causes by Organ System[edit | edit source]

Causes in Alphabetical Order[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

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