Keeping you safe

Sunday, April 4, 2010

How does Lead enter the Body?

  • Lead can enter the body 3 ways: 
  1. Inhalation: You inhale it through your mouth and into your lungs.
  2. Ingestion: You eat it. Lead gets on your hands and is transferred to your food and then enters your stomach. 
  3. Absorption: Lead is absorbed through the skin. (This is not common, but it is possible).
  •  Inhalation of Lead
  1. Breathing lead particles is made possible by working in an area with lead dust or fumes are present. The lead enters the lungs and is absorbed by the body into the blood stream.
  2. Once in the blood, a person’s blood lead levels will begin to rise.
  3. If the body does not excrete the lead, it will be stored in the bones and the teeth.
  4. Lead is BAD for your health!
  • Ways in which Lead enters the body
  1. Inhalation - Breathing lead fumes or dust. This is the most common route of entry in the workplace.
  •  Ingestion  
  1. If you do not properly clean your hands, it is easy to digest lead. If lead gets into your stomach, it is absorbed into the body 6x’s faster than inhalation (going into your lungs). 
  2. Having food in your stomach helps reduce this absorption rate.
  3. Any hand-to-mouth activity can create potential exposure (smoking, wiping mouth, blowing nose, biting finger nails, etc…)
  4. Lead is BAD for your health! 
  • Ways in which Lead enters the body
  1. Ingestion - Swallowing lead dust via food, cigarettes etc. If hands are not thoroughly washed following exposure to lead dust or particles, it can enter the body through the mouth.
  •  Absorption
  1. It is possible that lead can enter the body through the skin. However, the rate and amount would be very small. 
  2. A larger concern is re-exposure. Example: Lead dust is on the skin. You perspire and lead enters the pores. You cool off and the pores close. You go home and get hot from some physical activity. Skin pores reopen lead comes back out onto the surface of the skin and gets ingested or picked up by family members.
Worker Lead Safe Work Practices 2-Hour Training available at: Safety Training Works, Inc.

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