OUR LIVING CELLS

USES OF LEAD

• Lead is used for car batteries, pigments, ammunition, cable sheathing, weights for lifting, weight belts for diving, lead crystal glass, radiation protection, and to store corrosive liquids. It is also sometimes used in architecture, for roofing and in stained glass windows.
• Lead is no longer used for pipes, pewter, paint, lead glazes for pottery, insecticides, hair dyes or as an anti-knocking additive for petrol

USES OF MERCURY

• Mercury is mainly used in the chemical industry as catalysts. As well as in some electrical switches and rectifiers.
• Mercury is no longer used for sodium hydroxide, chlorine, batteries, fluorescent lights, felt production, thermometers and barometers.

LEAD EXPOSITION

• People may be exposed to lead through ingestion, inhalation, dermal, and endogenous exposure.

MERCURY EXPOSITION

• People may be exposed to mercury through breathing contaminated air, drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, particularly mercury contaminated fish. Also directly through skin contact.

SAFETY LEVELS OF EXPOSURE

• Lead: there is no known safety level for lead exposure. In case you have lead piping in your house, get rid of it because it can leave traces of lead in your water which can lead to fatality. Although the recommended amount of lead is a Time Weighted Average of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air over 8-hours. The required Permissible Exposure Limit for lead is also no greater than 50 µg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour period.

SAFETY LEVELS OF EXPOSURE

• Mercury : there is no known safety level for mercury exposure. Although experts revised the PTWI for methylmercury, recommending that it be reduced to 1.6 µg per kg body weight per week.
• Children and pregnant woman should be exposed to no lead or mercury for it may cause mental and health issues for child/fetus.

EFFECT OF HUMANS

• Lead: brain damage, stomach pain, constipated, tired, headaches, irritable, loss of appetite, memory loss, weak, pain or tingling in the hands and/or feet.

EFFECTS OF HUMANS

• Mercury: causes acute and chronic intoxication at low levels of exposure. Elemental and methylmercury are toxic to the central and peripheral nervous systems. The inhalation of mercury vapour can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal.

CAUSES OF EFFECTS

• Lead: increases the brain cholesterol and triglycerides levels and the antioxidant levels decrease during lead exposure and increase the fat levels in the brain.

CAUSES OF EFFECTS

• Mercury: the cause of the failure of the central nervous system is the result of neuron loss in the cerebellum and throughout the cerebral cortex.It also affects brain development by preventing neurons from finding their appropriate place in the brain.

AVOIDING EXPOSURE

• Lead: Wash hands and toys. To help reduce hand-to-mouth transfer of contaminated dust or soil. Clean dusty surfaces. Remove shoes before entering the house. Run cold water if you have older plumbing containing lead pipes and don’t use hot tap water to make baby formula or for cooking. Eat a healthy diet. Regular meals and good nutrition may help lower lead absorption. Keep your home well-maintained. If your home has lead-based paint, check regularly for peeling paint and fix as soon as possible.

AVOIDING EXPOSURE

• Mercury: Avoid fish containing high levels of mercury if you’re pregnant. Follow fish and seafood serving guidelines for children. According to the Mayo Clinic, children younger than 3 years old can eat 1 ounce of fish, while a serving size for children ages 4 to 7 is 2 ounces. Be on the lookout for fish advisories in your area. Take a blood mercury test before conceiving. Wash your hands right away if you think you’ve been exposed to other forms of mercury.

REFERENCES

• CDC - LEAD: HEALTH PROBLEMS CAUSED BY LEAD - NIOSH WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH TOPIC In-text: ("CDC - Lead: Health Problems Caused by Lead - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic", 2018) Your Bibliography: CDC - Lead: Health Problems Caused by Lead - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website CDC - LEAD: HEALTH PROBLEMS CAUSED BY LEAD - NIOSH WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH TOPIC In-text: ("CDC - Lead: Health Problems Caused by Lead - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic", 2018) Your Bibliography: CDC - Lead: Health Problems Caused by Lead - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website CDC - LEAD: LEAD EXPOSURE LIMITS - NIOSH WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH TOPIC In-text: ("CDC - Lead: Lead Exposure Limits - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic", 2018) Your Bibliography: CDC - Lead: Lead Exposure Limits - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/limits.html Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT: MERCURY INFORMATION In-text: ("Kansas Department of Health and Environment: Mercury Information", 2018) Your Bibliography: Kansas Department of Health and Environment: Mercury Information. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.kdheks.gov/mercury/how_are_people_exposed.html Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website LEAD - ELEMENT INFORMATION, PROPERTIES AND USES | PERIODIC TABLE In-text: ("Lead - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table", 2018) Your Bibliography: Lead - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/82/lead Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website LEAD (PB) TOXICITY: HOW ARE PEOPLE EXPOSED TO LEAD? | ATSDR - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION - CSEM In-text: ("Lead (Pb) Toxicity: How Are People Exposed to Lead? | ATSDR - Environmental Medicine & Environmental Health Education - CSEM", 2018) Your Bibliography: Lead (Pb) Toxicity: How Are People Exposed to Lead? | ATSDR - Environmental Medicine & Environmental Health Education - CSEM. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=34&po=6 Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website LEAD POISONING - SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES In-text: ("Lead poisoning - Symptoms and causes", 2018) Your Bibliography: Lead poisoning - Symptoms and causes. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-caus... Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website LEAD POISONING AND HEALTH In-text: ("Lead poisoning and health", 2018) Your Bibliography: Lead poisoning and health. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website MERCURY - ELEMENT INFORMATION, PROPERTIES AND USES | PERIODIC TABLE In-text: ("Mercury - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table", 2018) Your Bibliography: Mercury - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/80/mercury Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website MERCURY AND HEALTH In-text: ("Mercury and health", 2018) Your Bibliography: Mercury and health. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar Website WHO | UN COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS NEW DIETARY INTAKE LIMITS FOR MERCURY In-text: ("WHO | UN Committee recommends new dietary intake limits for mercury", 2018) Your Bibliography: WHO | UN Committee recommends new dietary intake limits for mercury. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2003/np20/en/ Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar
• ANON In-text: (2018) Your Bibliography: (2018). Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02772240902830631 Copy bibliography citation Copy in-text citation Check for grammar
• NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDS - EFFECTS OF MERCURY ON THENERVOUS SYSTEM In-text: ("Neuroscience for Kids - Effects of Mercury on theNervous System", 2018) Your Bibliography: Neuroscience for Kids - Effects of Mercury on theNervous System. (2018). Retrieved from http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/merc.html