Health Threat:
Lead poisoning can cause severe health effects including damage to the liver, kidneys, brain,
nerves, bones and blood. Children are especially at high-risk because they routinely ingest
non-food items contaminated with lead. Toxic levels of lead can cause permanent learning
disabilities, retardation and even brain damage in young children. Documentation reveals
that serious behavioral problems and learning disabilities are seven times more likely to
occur in children exposed to low-levels of lead over an extended period of time
(New England Journal of Medicine- Jan. 11, 1990). More recent studies indicate that
there is no threshold for the toxic effects of lead.
(New England Journal of Medicine April 17, 2003) In adults, lead poisoning can cause
high blood pressure and reproductive problems. In pregnant women, the fetus is particularly
vulnerable to lead's toxic effects.
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