Where Do You Find Toxic Levels of Lead? The toxicity of lead has
been recognized for many years, but the widespread use of the
metal throughout history means that we’ll be forced to deal with
lead and its health consequences for the foreseeable future.
Lead poisoning causes many health problems, including damage to
neurological systems. The developing brains and nervous systems
of children can be severely harmed if their lead levels are too
high. Most children today are tested for lead poisoning, but the
vast majority of those tests are based on blood samples. Blood
tests reveal elevated lead levels in the blood. Here’s the
problem: Lead is absorbed by brain and other tissues, and blood
tests aren’t as good at registering high lead levels in the
brain. Plus, blood tests reveal only very recent exposure.
Federal legislation was enacted in the 1970s to remove lead from
paint and fuel, and many people assume that lead levels have
dwindled as a result. That’s simply not the case because lead
doesn’t go away — it’