Health Effects

Whether it's inhaled, swallowed, or, more rarely, absorbed through the skin (just by touching a product that contains lead), lead can act as a poison. You cannot smell or taste lead. It is not visible to the naked eye. Lead is particularly dangerous because once it gets into a person's system, it is distributed throughout the body just like helpful minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc.

How Can Lead Be Harmful and Dangerous?

The health hazards primarily related to high levels of lead in the blood stream are:

memory loss
difficult pregnancies
headaches
digestive problems
muscle and joint pain
slowed or stunted growth
hearing problems
high blood pressure and reproductive problems
damage to the brain and central nervous system
behavior and learning disorders such as hyperactivity
irritability
sleep problems
memory loss
loss of appetite
kidney dysfunction