Lead Poisoning News and Research

RSS

Lead is a naturally occurring metal that has been used extensively throughout history. Its usage is traced right back to ancient history. High exposure to lead, particularly in young children, is associated with health complications. Lead poisoning is not a new phenomenon. Reports of lead poisoning from water pipes and wine containers date back to Roman times.

Researchers examine blood lead concentrations of Flint children before and after water crisis

Flint children's blood lead levels were nearly three times higher almost a decade before the year of the Flint water crisis, new research shows.

26 Mar 2018

Hospitals find asthma hot spots more profitable to neglect than fix

Keyonta Parnell has had asthma most of his young life, but it wasn't until his family moved to the 140-year-old house here on Lemmon Street two years ago that he became one of the health care system's frequent customers.

6 Dec 2017

People who use indoor firing ranges at risk of lead poisoning

Indoor firing ranges may put hobby shooters, law enforcement officers and employees at risk from lead exposure, particularly if proper dust-control measures are not in place.

22 Nov 2017

Study finds link between high blood lead levels and pre-eclampsia

More than a century since a Brisbane doctor found that lead in paint destroyed children’s lives, new research from Griffith University concludes that it is a major risk factor for pre-eclampsia.

6 Oct 2017

Lead in water leading to problems with fertility and childbirth in Flint, Michigan

Researchers from the University of Kansas, Department of Economics in a new working paper series in Theoretical and Applied Economics write that with the change in water sources in Flint, Michigan since April 2014, lead exposure to the population has risen.

22 Sep 2017

Hydrogel-based capsules may help patients adhere to medications

Around half of all medications for chronic diseases are not taken as prescribed, costing the U.S. health care system more than $100 billion in avoidable hospital stays each year.

25 Jul 2017

New non-toxic elements can replace harmful lead-containing materials in electronic products

Most smartphones and other electrical or electronic products contain small amounts of lead, which doesn't sound like a big problem on its own. But when there are many billions of such products, either in daily use or gone astray, the total sums up to very large amounts of lead - which is a toxic heavy metal.

12 Jul 2017

AMA votes to adopt new policies for improving health of the nation

The American Medical Association, the premier national physician organization in the country, voted this week to adopt new policies aimed at improving the health of the nation. The new policies were approved during the voting session of the AMA’s Annual Meeting.

19 Jun 2017

Detectable heavy metal lead, found in 20% baby food samples sparking alarm

According to a new report, there were significant levels of lead found in 20 percent of baby food samples raising concerns. There have been reports in the past of paint chips or paints containing lead as well as contaminated water that can lead to lead poisoning.

19 Jun 2017

Lead detected in 20% of baby food samples, surprising even researchers

Pediatricians and public health researchers know they have to be on the lookout for lead exposure from paint chips and contaminated drinking water. A new report suggests food — particularly baby food — could be a problem, too.

16 Jun 2017

FDA warns Americans about inaccurate lead testing in children and mothers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning Americans that certain lead tests manufactured by Magellan Diagnostics may provide inaccurate results for some children and adults in the United States.

18 May 2017

Scientists secure NIH grant to test portable blood-adhesion monitor for sickle cell disease patients

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University will use a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop and test a small, portable blood-adhesion monitor for sickle cell disease patients.

8 Feb 2017

Aluminum cookware made from scrap metal poses serious and unrecognized health risk

Aluminum cookware made from scrap metal in countries around the world poses a serious and previously unrecognized health risk to millions of people according to a new study.

23 Jan 2017

Iron fortification can reduce blood lead levels, study shows

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that was added to petrol for use in cars until as recently as 25 years ago. It is particularly harmful to the developing brains of infants, children and teenagers, and the damage it does is irreversible.

26 Oct 2016

Study identifies causes and outcomes of severe lead poisoning in children

Although national and local policies have reduced the prevalence of lead poisoning in the United States, severe cases still occur.

19 Oct 2016

Low blood lead levels can have negative impact on academic performance

A decrease in the average level of lead in a preschooler's blood reduces the probability of that child being substantially below proficient in reading by the third grade, a new National Bureau of Economics Research working paper reports.

5 Oct 2016

Children living in poor communities less likely to receive diagnosis for strabismus, study shows

Children are less likely to be diagnosed with crossed eyes, a condition known as strabismus, if they live in poor communities, according to an analysis led by researchers at the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center.

17 Aug 2016

New study reveals high percentages of unsafe blood lead levels among U.S. children

Despite four decades of public health efforts to minimize children’s exposure to lead, high percentages of unsafe blood lead levels are still found in children in numerous regions of the United States, according to a new study by researchers at Quest Diagnostics, the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services.

From Quest Diagnostics 17 Jun 2016

Researcher proposes three-point plan to identify, eliminate lead exposure nationwide

The crisis of lead-contaminated drinking water in Flint, Mich., continues to make headlines—but it's just the most prominent example of an "ongoing and needless tragedy of childhood lead poisoning," according David E. Jacobs, PhD, CIH, a noted authority on childhood lead poisoning prevention.

28 May 2016

Iron accumulation in human tissues may contribute to the aging process

It's been known for decades that some metals, including iron, accumulate in human tissues during aging and that toxic levels of iron have been linked to neurologic diseases, such as Parkinson's. Common belief has held that iron accumulation happens as a result of the aging process.

17 Jan 2015