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PAGE 8 - FOREST LAKE TIMES - Thursday, March 3, 1963 Health Beat Lead Poisoning By DARRVI, QUIRAM, MD Internist Lead is an environmental pollutant for which nearly every person has a measurable blood level. It is a poison and when high body levels accummulate. a serious illness develops, call- ed plumbism. Both children and adults may eventually suffer ir- reversible; brain damage from the lead. The signs and symptoms of plumbism can be subtle, such as mild behavior changes and ir- ritability, listlessness. lack of appetite and constipation. More serious symptoms are vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, clumsiness and difficulty walking. Severe symptoms include seizures, coma and respiratory arrest with possi- ble death In 1981 some 20AW children in the United States had toren identified as having ongoing related problems from lead exposure. Although anyone can develop lead poisoning. children appear to be at greatest risk A normal child will absorb 42 percent of all orally in- gested lead as compared to to percent absorbed by an adult. That ultimately will allow the child to retain three times more lead than an adult ex- poae-el to tlic same oral dose. In addition, children often tinoes have increased ex- posure to the greatest resource of lead, that being old paint. This especially con- cerns children living to old dwellings that have old paint. Prita to Warld War 11. lead based paints commonly con- tained as mutts as 40 perce•nl lead by dry weight Now, ac eeptable lead content of paint is o.1) Warrent by dry weight. Both adults and children have a duo} dit•tary intake of lead, Which comes from canned foods, water and dust. Lead is available in the envirnmrnent as pain:, fumes, dust, metal. canned foods, glared earthen ware and si�me eerarn►c pottery I ndus! r ,� 1,110,000 ions of lead a year for various products, in- cluding gasoline, printing, paint, ceramic and glass con- struction, ammunition and plumbing construction. Air is also a source of lead. This results from fumes of gasoline or engine exhaust or the burning of lead - containing rubbish. Urban traffic policemen have been shown repeatedly to have in- creased levels of lead, based on inhalation alone. Thirty- five percent of inhaled lead is absorbed equally in adults and children. Any renovation of an . old house that involves stripping of the old paint will expose those present to large amounts of lead. It has also been shown foods stored in open cans for long periods of time or acid beverages stored in glazed earthenware can in- crease the lead intake dissolved from the container. Absorption of lead is enhanced by deficiencies in dietary iron and calcium. blood tests can diagnose plumbism. Anemia is com- mon and lead levels of the blood can be measured. Severely elevated blood levels of lead can be treated on an emergency basis with intravenous and injectabie medications that can bind the lead and allow the body to eliminate it. General management cif environmental lead is possi ble. When removing pain!, don't expose family merr►brers to the dust or fumes produced in the process. Destroy any items containing lead glazed toys and containers. Leave any industrial contaminated clothing and shot-, at work and provide laundering and pp�epudic cleaning services. tlse an alternative water sup - PI), if the water is con tantinated with lead, and have bottled water available for drinking. Ir general, for th► :,i►- ptdlu tion. to use urivadt-d i4XS0111111 a:►d tighten intimstnal contrui thrra►Rh sate and federal l'blltiUlnl'> (i('tiv!