Kathleen Couillard – The Rumor Detector
In certain circumstances, the metal lead can have negative consequences on our health. Nonetheless, for several decades, our exposure to this contaminant has decreased. The Rumor Detector asks: Do we still have reason to worry?
Facts About Lead Exposure
In a city like Montreal, the systematic screening of lead inlets in residences has been carried out for several years. The intent is to remove all lead piping by 2032. Some of this piping in homes is a century old or even older.
We have known for a long time that lead has heath impacts. When it is ingested it is partially absorbed in the bloodstream, and can reach organs like the kidneys, the liver, the pancreas and the lungs, according to Health Canada.
The regional public health directorate for the City of Montreal (DRSPM) says poisoning occurs when lead levels in the blood pass 10.4 micrograms per decilitre in adults and 5.2 μg/dl in children. Lead intoxication symptoms can include headaches, irritability, abdominal pain, vomiting, anemia, loss of weight, attention problems, learning difficulties and hyperactivity.
Experts differentiate between a single exposure and chronic exposure, even in minute quantities. Chronic exposure can have negative effects on intellectual development and child behavior, says Health Canada.
Low Risks
If these facts seem alarming, remember that because of the way our bodies absorb lead, the concentration in drinkable water isn’t what will accumulate in us. According to Health Canada, only 3% to 15% of lead in the water is ingested through the intestines, and only 5% of this quantity stays in the body. These totals are far below levels that would indicate lead poisoning.
In a document on lead in the water published in 2019, the DRSPM judges the risks to health as low. However, lead can contaminate water through the connection between the public plumbing network and residences. According to a 2007 DRSPM study, 53% of all residences with lead water pipes exceeded the Quebec lead contamination threshold, which at the time was 10 μg/l. Only homes with lead pipes exceeded the threshold.
A Disappearing Problem
Across Canada, the amount of lead in people’s bloodstreams has greatly decreased in the last 50 years, thanks to regulation.
For example, between 1975 and 2015, lead levels in young people dropped from 19 μg/dl to less than 1 μg/dl, the DRSPM noted in a 2017 report. Two years later, the average lead level in Canadians aged 6 to 79 was estimated by Health Canada to be just 0,82 μg/dl. Which is way below levels associated with saturnism, or lead poisoning.
Verdict
There is no doubt that lead poisoning has negative effects on human health. But the risk of suffering from lead poisoning is low nowadays. It is a problem in regression.
This article is part of the Détecteur de rumeurs series, click here for other articles in the series.
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