LOS ANGELES (KNX) — The year of your birth could determine whether or not you’ve been affected by high exposure to lead, according to a new study. Especially if you were born before 1996. And that exposure likely impacted your cognitive development, according to researchers.
“The truth is we don't fully understand the long-term health consequences of childhood lead exposure. What we do know is that back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, when these high exposures occurred, those of us born and living through that era probably took a hit to our IQ. So we didn’t reach our full developmental potential in terms of cognitive ability.”
That statement comes from Aaron Reuben, the study co-author and a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at Duke University. According to his team’s research, more than 170 million people born in the United States — which is more than half the Americans alive in 2015 — were exposed as children to levels of lead that surpass the Centers for Disease Control’s threshold.
How does lead enter the body? In so many ways that it’s actually alarming, according to Jenn Engstrom, the State Director of the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG).
“Children are exposed to lead in paint, dust, soil, air, food, as well as drinking water,” she said.
“Over the course of a century our nation just allowed lead to become embedded in the fabric of our lives. [My team is] focused primarily on drinking water, but it is true that there has been lead in all kinds of things that children are exposed to.”
Once ingested, lead passes into the brain through the blood-brain barrier, according to United Press International (UPI). The outlet reported that after the Clean Air Act of 1996, levels of lead exposure dropped, as leaded gasoline had been playing a major role in exposure.
Reuben supported that information, saying that it’s worth mentioning to a primary healthcare physician so they can help diagnose future issues.
“The greatest exposures, historically over the last 60 years, were due to lead use in gasoline,” he said.
“So if you grew up along roadways, in dense urban areas, if you had a blood lead test as a kid and happened to know that you did have a high exposure…then it’s worth mentioning to your doctor, just so that they know it’s part of the picture and it could be contributory to problems moving forward.”
In the study, Reuben said his team analyzed the blood of more than 11,600 people who were between the ages of one and five from 1976 to 2016. Then, according to HealthDay, the team used data on leaded gasoline consumption to approximate what their blood lead levels would have been to measure how IQ could have been affected.
"Lead is toxic and harms many organs, but it is particularly harmful to the developing brain, and we know children exposed to lead will demonstrate IQ deficits," Reuben said in an intervew with UPI.
The average IQ loss found by the study was about 2.6 points per exposed person.
With this information now brought to light, what’s the next step for someone who believes they could have been affected?
“We’re still trying to figure out now what it means for people in their thirties, forties, going forward,” Reuben said.
“Dementia … cardiovascular disease … these are all things lead exposure has been linked to but it’s not gonna be the primary cause. But you could make your family doctor aware just so that we know if you’re at higher risk.”
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
