People can get lead In their body if they:

• Breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations that disturb painted poisoning surfaces).
• Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths.
• Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.

Lead is even more dangerous to children under the age of 6:

• At this age children’s brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
• Children’s growing bodies absorb more lead.
• Babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead in their dust on them.

Lead is also dangerous to women of age:

• Women with a high lead level in their system prior to pregnancy would expose a fetus to lead through the placenta during fetal development.

Leads Effect.

It is important to know that even exposure to low levels of lead can severely harm children. In children, lead can cause:

• Nervous system and kidney damage.
• Learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence.
• Speech, language, and behavior problems.
• Poor muscle coordination • Decreased muscle and bone growth.
• Hearing damage.

While low-lead exposure s most common, exposure to high levels of lead can have devastating effects on children, including seizures, unconsciousness, and in some cases, death.

Although children are especially susceptible to lead exposure, lead can be dangerous for adults too.

In adults, lead can cause:

• Increased chance of illness during pregnancy.
• Harm to a fetus, including brain damage or death.
• Fertility problems (in men and women).
• High blood pressure.
• Digestive problems. • Nerve disorders.
• Memory and concentration problems.
• Muscle and joint pain.