Early Exposure to Lead May Accelerate Aging of Brain in Later Life
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 01.29.08
In a disturbing study released recently, it appears that early childhood exposure to lead may, in fact, lead to an acceleration of the normal aging of the brain. As Dr. Brian Schwartz of John Hopkins University put it, “We’re trying to offer a caution that a portion of what has been called normal aging might in fact be due to ubiquitous environmental exposures like lead.”
And lead’s not the only pollutant you may have to worry about…
Because Schwartz goes on to say that other pollutants like mercury and some pesticides may well do the same thing. And while there is insufficient research on mercury to date, recent studies suggest pesticide exposure raises the risk for Parkinson’s disease a decade or more after the time of exposure.
And while the idea that the health effects of exposure to certain toxins can occur many years after exposure is not new, scientists consider this to be an “emerging area” for research; citing the fact that it’s commonly accepted that exposure to tobacco and asbestos can lead to cancer even decades later.
As Dr. Philip Landrigan of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York said recently, “It makes sense that if a substance destroys brain cells in early life, the brain may cope by drawing on its reserve capacity until it loses still more cells with aging.” And only after the onset of the aging process would symptoms like forgetfulness or tremors appear.
A prominent example that’s cited is the fact that infant mice exposed to PCBs initially show only small, subtle effects. But by old age significant damage in areas devoted to daily activities like movement and learning are observed.
And while virtually every American will have some levels of lead in their blood, the phasing out of lead in gasoline from 1976 to 1991 along with other measures has caused the average level of lead in the blood of American adults to fall 30% by 1980 and 80% by 1990. But that’s no help to the millions of Americans exposed to the stuff long before the phase-out began, as high rates of lead exposure back when are apparently accelerating their mental decline as they age.
See also:: Big Coal Turning Kids Into Pushers This Primary Season , Fun With Asbestos
via:: RedOrbit
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The takeaway from this:
-We desperately need a (better) system in place for recycling batteries, televisions, cell phones, and basically any other form of electronics. Allowing such devices to enter a landfill will ultimately cause heavy metals to enter our water supply. This however is a minor offence compared to....
-Coal: it dumps more heavy metals on us than any other industry. The reality is that we aren't going to stop using coal any time soon (read: next 10 years). In the interim, we need to try to use coal responsibly. Take a look at GreatPoint energy. Their coal to methane process would yield a reduction in CO2, an elimination of sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions, and recover some of the heavy metals in coal for commercial use (a huge boon).
-Finally, people need to understand that lead acid batteries ARE NOT EVIL. How we treat them at the end of their life, however, can be evil.
Well thanks.
When you report on something like that, could you give us a little hope in the end.
Some people die early from stress related diseases exacerbated by constant news stories about murder, death, disease, war and of course now, the state of our environment.
When it comes to all this gloom and doom, people want to know what they can do about it.