If the blood lead is too high, it indicates that lead poisoning has occurred. It will cause a series of abnormal performances of the body's nervous system, blood system, and digestive system. It will affect the normal functions of the human body.
Lead is a heavy metal element with neurotoxicity and has no physiological function in the human body. Its ideal blood lead concentration is zero. However, due to the ubiquity of lead in the environment, there is a certain amount of lead in the vast majority of human bodies. If the amount of lead in the body exceeds a certain level, it will cause damage to health, and individual differences are huge. Children are particularly sensitive to lead toxicity due to their metabolism and developmental characteristics. Studies have confirmed that when the blood lead level is about 10ug/dL (0.483umol/L), although it is not enough to produce specific clinical manifestations, it can have an adverse effect on children's intellectual development, physical growth, learning ability and hearing.
The latest study by the Children’s Hospital of the Cincinnati Medical Center in the United States shows that the United States has set too high a standard for lead in children’s blood. Bruce Langfer, a researcher at the hospital, believes that the standard for blood lead levels in children in the United States should be further lowered. Researchers found that even if the blood lead concentration of children meets the standard of 100 micrograms per liter, the toxic side effects of lead on children are still obvious. In severe cases, children affected by this poison will have low IQ, clumsy movements and disappointing performance in school. Dr. Lanfell and his research partners followed up and investigated 276 American newborn babies. They measured the blood lead levels of these babies at different ages when they were six months to four years old. At the age of four, the IQs of these babies were also measured. Researchers found that there is an inverse relationship between the level of lead in the blood of babies and their IQ. Dr. Lanfer believes that according to new research results, this standard can only be set at 50 micrograms of lead per liter of blood. He also emphasized that the focus of reducing lead hazards should be shifted from treatment to prevention.