Lead affects each person and different concentrations of lead in the blood creates different adverse effects. According to Shnur and John lead affects children under 6 years of age the most because before then the human brain hasn’t developed the blood brain barrier which is in charge of directing contaminated blood out of the brain to lessen the effects of the chemical. Lead is a Neurotoxin, an endocrine disruptor, a teratogen, a mutagen, and a carcinogen. It can have all these affects at once or any combination of them. Lead inhibits the transport of oxygen and which alters nerve transmission in the brain which prevents it from making new synapses. One of America’s first pediatric neurologist was the first person to discover that several children with learning or behavior disorders had been previously diagnosed with lead poisoning. According the NRDC in regular humans the gastrointestinal tract can absorb 10-15% of lead. Pregnant women can absorb up to 50% of lead. Which this dosage has more detrimental effects. In a study done by John Hopkins professor (2000) is shows that lead is a potent inhibitor of the NMDA receptor, a protein known to play an important role in brain development and cognition. In this study it demonstrates that lead exposure decreased the amount of NMDA receptor gene and protein in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Considering this, lead doesn’t just affect the brain it impacts other …show more content…
The Mayo Clinic’s procedure is, the first step in treating all degrees of lead poisoning is to remove the source of the contamination. If you can't remove lead from the environment, it may at least be able to reduce the likelihood that it will cause problems. The main treatment medically is the chelation. This treatment is when someone takes a medication that binds with the lead so that it's excreted through the urine. As used by the University of Maryland Medical Center doctors treat adults with lead levels greater than 45 mcg/dL of blood with one or more of three drugs, most commonly a chemical called ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Depending on your lead level, you may need more than one treatment. EDTA has a claw-like molecular structure that binds to heavy metals and other toxins. The medication is injected intravenously and once in the bloodstream, EDTA traps lead and other metals, forming a compound that the body can eliminate in the urine. The process generally takes 1 to 3 hours. In such severe cases, however, it may not be possible to reverse damage that has already occurred. Lead may have a long history and some benefits it is ultimately very detrimental to the human body and should not be