A big warning sign : UNC discovers lead in drinking water fixtures of 125 buildings dailytarheel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailytarheel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
What are the risks of lead poisoning? Who is most at risk?
Lead is a heavy metal that is highly toxic for humans when ingested or inhaled, particularly for young children and during pregnancy and lactation. Elevated levels can impair the body’s neurological, biological, and cognitive functions, leading to learning barriers or disabilities; behavioral problems; impaired growth; anemia; brain, liver, kidney, nerve, and stomach damage; coma and convulsions; and even death. Lead also increases the risk of miscarriage and can be transmitted through both the placenta and breast milk.
Children are especially at risk because when exposed to the same levels they absorb four to five times as much lead as adults, and their brains and bodies are still developing. In addition, small children often put their hands in their mouths or play on the ground, which increases their likelihood of ingesting or inhaling lead in dust and dirt. Exposure during pregnancy can result in stillbirth, miscarri