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Lead as an environmental poison
Author(s) -
Hardy Harriet L.,
Chamberlin Richard I.,
Maloof Clarence C.,
Boylen George W.,
Howell Mary C.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt1971126982
Subject(s) - lead poisoning , harm , population , environmental health , chemist , public health , medicine , welfare , business , medical emergency , political science , nursing , psychiatry , law , physics , quantum mechanics
After some years of assuming lead poisoning to be either a phenomenon of past history 63 or confined to children eating paint, an American geochemist (Patterson) challenged the complacency of industry, physicians, and public health officials on this subject. A symposium was called in 1965 by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare as the result of the reaction to Patterson's angry conclusions. The timing of this symposium marked the upsurge of activity and attention in the United States to potential harm to all of us from contamination of air with products of industry and heavy auto traffic. One of us presented a paper at the 1965 session entitled, “What is the status of knowledge of the toxic effect of lead on identifiable groups in the population,” which was later published in this JOURNAL. 39 Further discussion in the press and in medical and industrial hygiene literature led to the knowledge that updated and new data on sources of lead in the environment are needed. The present paper attempts to supply this need. In addition, means of identifying toxic lead effect not readily recognized by clinicians are discussed. A crowded and old city (Boston), with heavy traffic flow but without large lead‐using industries, and its suburbs have been studied over the years 1965 to 1970. Using the skills of the chemist and engineer trained to assess the risk of industrial disease, a number of environmental sources of lead have been measured. Collaboration with public health staff and hospital residents and physicians utilizing these so‐called industrial hygiene techniques revealed their value in case finding and identifying the source of damaging lead. The role of inhaled lead in risk to urban children needs emphasis. Ingestion plays little part in adult poisoning. Due to poor absorption of lead through the gut, the role of lead by mouth may be not as great as thought in childhood disease. Absorption through the skin is a problem in industrial exposure to organic lead compounds only. Failure of most physicians to recognize any form of lead intoxication other than severe acute disease, and under‐utilization of chelating agents for diagnosis and therapy is discussed. Possible methods of changing the bleak picture of risk of lead poisoning in the United States are enumerated.