M9:4 Heavy Metals

In the environmental health response article, I was surprised to lean severe soil led contamination was from artisanal gold. I was also surprised to learn that religious leadership was a part of the change because that is a group that you do not always hear about being a pioneer of change. It takes more than one person, company, or organization to make a change so it was refreshing to know that local involvement in management, design, implementation, evaluation, and adaptation were crucial for a successful change.

In the Lead Poisoning article by Herbert Needleman, I was surprised to learn that lead poisoning properties dates back to second century B.C., that was mind blowing! It made sense to me that early victims of lead poisoning were lead workers but the wine drinkers’ part was a curve ball. I had no idea lead had/has a sweet flavor. Another surprise was that childhood lead poisoning was recognized only a century ago and first described in the United States in 1914. If it has been around that long, why is it still a problem or cause for concern? It is also good to know that lead poisoning in adults can affect the peripheral and central nervous systems, the kidneys, and blood pressure. Also, hypertension has been associated with acute lead poisoning, along with renal failure.