815 Demolition Safety

Health Effects of Lead Exposure

Health Effects of Acute Lead Exposure

Severe health effects of acute lead exposure include damage to the nervous system.

Lead can cause conditions such as wrist drop or foot drop, which happen when the muscles become weak and the worker can no longer lift their wrist or foot normally. Tremors, convulsions, and seizures are also possible. In extreme cases, acute lead poisoning has caused fatalities, especially in jobs where protective measures were ignored.

• Example: A worker in a battery manufacturing plant inhales a large amount of lead dust because ventilation systems were not working. Within days, they experience severe stomach pain, seizures, and eventually collapse from lead poisoning.

Health Effects of Chronic Lead Exposure

Chronic poisoning happens when lead slowly builds up in the body over time, usually in the bones. Even if exposure stops, the stored lead can be released later due to certain events, like illness, stress, or pregnancy.

Some of the long-term health effects include:

• Impaired hemoglobin synthesis: This means the body cannot make healthy red blood cells, leading to anemia, weakness, and fatigue.
• Damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems: Workers may develop memory loss, mood changes, or difficulty with coordination and reflexes.
• Hypertension (high blood pressure): Long-term lead exposure is linked to heart problems and increased risk of stroke.
• Reproductive effects: In men, lead can lower sperm count and reduce fertility. In women, it can cause menstrual irregularities, miscarriages, or stillbirths.
• Fetal harm: Lead easily crosses the placenta, and a pregnant worker exposed to lead can pass it to her unborn child. This can result in premature birth, low birth weight, or developmental problems for the baby.

Chronic exposure makes lead especially dangerous because health effects can appear years after the exposure has ended.

• Example: A construction worker who spends years sanding old lead-based paint may not feel sick at first. However, after years of exposure, they develop high blood pressure, mood changes, and nerve problems. Years later, the lead stored in their bones may be released during an illness, causing additional health complications.

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