WHO Sends Serious Warnings About Lead, 5 Important Things You Must Know
Read all the latest health news here
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sent a serious message about Lead. There are also five important things you must know.
The WHO warned that repeated exposure to lead can have a damaging neurological impact.
Dr Lesley Onyon, The WHO Regional Advisor, Occupational and Environmental Health disclosed this.
Speaking at an interview session tagged, ‘Science in 5’, Onyon listed those affected by lead.
She clarified that everyone is at risk of lead, however, there are some persons who are more at risk.
These people are:
Read the latest health news in Nigeria on lactating women
Onyon said that the effects of Lead are usually mild or even unnoticed. However, these symptoms can present:
Her words:
“It is the neurological effects that we are most concerned about and particularly those affecting children. So, the neurological effects themselves can range in severity from irritable behaviour, clumsiness, right through to more serious, life-threatening neurological diseases and effects such as encephalopathy and coma, convulsions and death.
“Adults are also affected, particularly cardiovascular diseases and renal diseases. These are affecting occupational groups in particular. Exposure to lead is often not serious in an acute incident, but the repeated exposure at low levels can give rise to these severe neurological impacts that can last a lifetime.”
The Occupational and Environmental boss further revealed domestic objects and food that expose people to lead.
Also, read the latest health news in Nigeria on COVID
She urged adults to know these five important things that expose people to lead.
They are:
Her words: “The mouthing of objects containing lead is a particular danger for children.
“Small objects such as fishing weights and curtain weights can easily be swallowed and then have a lasting effect once remaining in the body.
“But there’s also the mouthing of amulets and toy jewellery and so on.
“A particular growing source of lead exposure comes from the recycling of lead-acid batteries and these are a growing need in our society, whether it be for electric vehicles, whether it be for small scale uninterrupted power supply.
“But the recycling of these batteries is often done under very poor conditions, often within homes as a sort of cottage industry in developing countries and therefore, whole communities and families can be affected.”
“Also important is to store food and drink in preferably glass containers, certainly to not store food in tins that can have solder inside them containing lead.
“I know that it is sort of common practice to reuse plastic containers these days, but sometimes these plastic containers can come from lead-acid batteries and other sources, so be very careful there. Finally, talk to your health care provider if you have any concerns.”
Source: PUNCH Health Wise
