LEAD POISONING.ppt

LEAD POISONING Lead poisoningAbsorption Skin: little/no absorption Inhalation (1μm): dust or lead fumes absorb 50-70% Oral: adults absorb 10% children absorb 40-50% increased absorption if low Fe, Ca Lead poisoningStorage Distribution Rapid turnover soft tissue pool: T1/2 30-40 days; blood, liver, kidney, CNS Slow turnover skeletal pool: T1/2 10-20 years; 75% - 90% in skeletal pool Chronic exposure results in a steady state distribution between bone and blood Excretion: Renal (90%) and biliary (10%) Maximum excretion is ~ 3.5μg/kg/day If intake 3.5 μg/kg/day accumulation will occur Lead poisoningSources Occupational Lead smelters Painter/decorators Battery manufacturers Stain-glass workers Jewellery makers Bronze workers etc... Environmental paint (walls, furniture, toys) water food air (petrol, industry), dust/soil Other traditional remedies (Ayruvedic) surma kohl cosmetics lead shot lead glazed ceramics foreign body ingestion e.g. curtain/fishing weight, snooker chalk Environmental lead exposureWater Lead in water: Largely from lead pipes/solderings/fittings Water lead contamination from ground lead has occurred in Nepal WHO max water lead content: 10μg/l ~ 20-30% UK homes exceed this limit Environmental lead exposurePaint Pre 1960’s up to 40% lead in paint rapid drying, weather resistance, colouring Domestic paint now 0.06% lead (600ppm) BUT leaded paint remains in many homes walls, furniture, toys Lead exposure from paint: sanding, heat stripping, flaking, pica contamination of carpets/curtains, dust Ayurvedic Traditional Remedies Numerous reports of lead, mercury, thallium, arsenic poisoning from Ayurvedic ( Chinese) remedies 40% of the 6000 medicines in Ayurveda contain at least one heavy metal Thought by practitioners to have therapeutic properties and/or to increase the efficacy of other herbal contents Used most commonly for chronic disorders and so there is a greater risk of heavy metal accumulation Ayurve