Lead is an environmental toxin
and it influences all functions of the body. The primary focus for lead toxicity
is the nervous system in which it crosses the blood-mind barrier by mimicking
calcium. Hypothetically its levels in any liquid ought to be zero, which is
unrealistic in an industrial society. Children are more prone to lead poisoning.
Major environmental sources of lead exposure include: air, dust, soil, drinking
water and food contaminated with lead.
Occupations that impose greater risk for lead poisoning include welding, iron
foundry workers, glaze workers, ship breaking, plumbing, traffic police, repair
of automobile radiators, paint industry, lead smelting and refining, pottery and
ceramic ware production and many others. Eye beauty care products, for example,
surma and kajal, have been found to contain abnormal amounts of lead. A lab
experiment has found that the grouping of lead in various sorts of surma in
Pakistan ranges from 0.03% to as high as 81.37%
Laws are required to be framed to control lead poisoning. The recommendations
for removing lead include eliminating lead additives in fuels and paints,
banning lead use in food containers and controlling lead use in traditional
medicine and cosmetics. There is also a need to minimize lead use in plumbing
and water distribution systems.