Lead poisoning: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:38, 23 July 2004

Revision as of 19:20, 17 August 2004

Line 1:

[[fr:Saturnisme]]

'''[[Lead]] poisoning''' is a condition, also known as '''plumbism''' or '''painter's colic''', caused by increased levels of blood [[blood plasma|serum]] lead levels. The average person has less than 10 [[microgram]]s per [[deciliter]], or 10 [[parts per million]], ppm, of lead in their blood serum. People who have been exposed to an unusual amount of lead will have lead serum levels higher than 20 ppm - most clinical symptoms of lead poisoning begin at around 100 ppm. The symptoms of lead poisoning include reduced [[IQ]] and, in extreme cases, seizure.

Outside of occupational hazards, the majority of lead poisoning occurs in children under age twelve. The main sources of poisoning are ingestion of lead contaminated [[soil]] (this is less of a problem in countries that no longer have [[Tetra-ethyl lead|leaded]] [[gasoline]]) and lead based paints. This is particularly a problem in older houses where the sweet tasting lead paint is likely to chip.