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Lead Damages the Entire Body
Lead is a metal that does not occur naturally in the human body in any
amount.
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When lead is ingested, it enters the blood
stream and travels throughout the body. Over the next 30 days or so, the
lead is deposited in the bone and soft tissues, including the brain.
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The lead stays in the bones for a lifetime,
resurfacing again in the blood whenever the body's natural processes tap the
bones for calcium (which lead resembles). |
There is no known "safe" level of lead.
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Lead in the body is most easily measured in the
blood (although blood lead tests measure only current exposure; adults
who were lead poisoned as children cannot be identified through blood tests).
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Blood lead is measured in micrograms per
deciliter, expressed as mg/dL. |
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The Centers for Disease Control have steadily
dropped the level that they identify as "of concern" as researchers have
learned more about the insidious effects of lead. They are currently
considering lowering it yet again. |
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