Lead poisoning looms large

According to the basel-based centre for disease control 10 mircrograms/decilitre of lead in blood is considered normal. Higher levels (more than 40 microgram/decilitre) can lead to anemia, abdominal pain, damage to nerves, convulsions and hyper tension and even prove to be lethal, says Dr Kalra, who has studied blood lead levels in 200 school children in the Captial.

While 56 per cent of students from a locality where lead content was relatively less in the air had high lead level in their blood, 72 per cent children from densely-polluted locality had more than normal concentration of lead, says Dr Kalra. Interestingly, however, not all children who showed high lead levels carried symptoms associated with them, she adds.

Why then the hue and cry over lead poisoning and the lurkingdangers? The pediatricians clarifies that world over lead depositions are known to be “a symptomatic” or not known to get manifested easily. Doctors say while the body does not need lead yet it gets absorbed easily through the air we breathe in directly or through vegetables growing in soil with greater lead content or pots made from it. Lead does not get excreted, but gets deposited in the tissue, mainly bones, gradually affecting the general metabolism to cause disorders.

With absorption capacity of calcium and iron coming down, the general health of a person deteriorates, especially the socially disadvantaged class, whose exposure to lead is higher than other sections of the population, says Dr Kalra.

Although cases of lead encephelopathy (deposition in brain) in children in pockets where lead acid batteries are manufactured, are on the rise, Dr Kalra is not in favour of extrapolating data obtained from isolated studies for the population as a whole. Studies in Delhi, Amritsar and Hyderabad point towards elevated blood lead levels but unless a wider sample from a cross section of population is taken directly, it could be misleading to make any conclusions.

The premier medical institute is now undertaking a survey of lead levels in the Capital to judge the problem, says the doctor, noting that since January they have already collected samples from nearly 1,800 people.

The survey would broadly cover all government schools, pregnant women, industrial workers and railway employees. While sceptics say there are other afflictions that need immediate attention as compared to those from lead, Dr Kalra agrees that water borne diseases still pose the number one challenge to health experts. “But why add another problem for the next generation.”

And the problem is indeed great if one looks at the sources of lead in the environment and its growing content in the soil and atmosphere around us, notes environmentalist Iqbal Malik. Echoing her Dr Kalra says efforts should be directed at reducing lead levels in the environment so that it is not absorbed by the body.