Mayor Jackson has been reported to believe the problems with Clevelanders and so his Great City are all in our heads - we're depressed and have a bad attitude... get over it. In response, Cleveland leaders have initiated a variety of "don't worry be happy" "Believe in Cleveland" programs, like their latest "Happiness Virus" initiative by a group of consultants associated with the Cleveland Clinic leadership.

Unfortunately, MEDICAL SCIENCE finds this ridiculous outlook and strategy ignores the cause of citizens' very real depression here - lead poisoning.

The real science of the Archives of General Psychiatry "looked at 1,987 adults ages 20 through 39, finding that those with the highest blood lead levels were more than twice as likely to suffer a major depressive disorder and nearly five times as likely to suffer from panic disorders as those without elevated blood lead levels. The study is a rare look at how lead exposure can affect adults, as most research to date has been focused on the side effects of lead on children."

It is bad enough that our Mayor is responsible for Cleveland having the highest lead poisoning rate of any large American city, making a huge number of citizens physiologically depressed - yes that is true - but it is far worse for him to not know why... not actually do the right things about that... blame the citizens... and propose ridiculous solutions like "Researchers want to see if positive thinking is contagious enough to get Clevelanders to believe this is a winning city"... proving lead poisoning also causes mental retardation of our leadership... including at the Cleveland Clinic.

Why will the leaders of this city not accept and act upon the truth? Most adults living here were lead poisoned by leaded gas emissions (up until 1978) and from exposure to lead paint dust from pre-1970's housing, and in our soil, and that has altered our brain chemistry, causing depression. Understanding that, and helping citizens deal with their lead poisoning... and avoid further lead poisoning - THE TRUTH - is BY FAR the best thing for our physical and mental health, rather than contaminating us with viral hope, false psychology, and bad medicine. Learn the truth and take comfort that if you are often depressed it is probably just the fault of lead poisoning. No "Happy Virus" will cure that... nothing will cure that. Read the real science below and be intelligent - lead poisoning only destroys the IQ of children, and you are adults!

Lead poisoning causes Depression and Panic in adults and children.

A study released in this month’s edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry looked at 1,987 adults ages 20 through 39, finding that those with the highest blood lead levels were more than twice as likely to suffer a major depressive disorder and nearly five times as likely to suffer from panic disorders as those without elevated blood lead levels. The study is a rare look at how lead exposure can affect adults, as most research to date has been focused on the side effects of lead on children.

      Young children, infants, and fetuses absorb more lead than adults. A small amount of lead that may have little effect on an adult can have a large effect on a child who is still growing and developing. If a child is overexposed to lead it can cause disastrous consequences including the possibility of irreversible brain and nervous system damage. Even children who appear healthy can have lead poisoning. If you think your child or other family members may be at risk, contact your physician or local health department for testing. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately 250,000 children in the United States have blood levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, which is the level that the CDC considers deserving of public health action.

 

   

What is lead?

Lead is a natural metal found in the environment.

What are the effects of lead poisoning?

Lead is toxic and has no known function in the human body. Young children are most susceptible to the toxic effects of lead. Long-term exposure to even low levels of lead can cause irreversible learning difficulties, mental retardation, and delayed neurological and physical development. In adults, exposure to lead affects primarily the peripheral nervous system and can cause impairment of hearing, vision, and muscle coordination. Lead also damages the blood, kidneys, heart and reproductive system.

Lead poisoning is a particularly insidious public health threat because there may be no unique signs or symptoms. Early symptoms of poisoning may include loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, anemia, and abdominal pain. Because of the general nature of symptoms at this stage, lead poisoning is often not suspected.

How do you prevent lead exposure in children?

A child is at greatest risk if he or she lives in an older home, built prior to 1950. Homes built before 1950 often contain lead-based paint. Lead may contaminate dust and be ingested when dirty hands or other non-food items come in contact with the mouth. If parents believe a child has been exposed, they should talk to the child’s pediatrician or their health care provider.

Guidelines for protection include:

1. Frequently wash hands, pacifier, toys and other items that may go in the mouth.
2. Feed children nutritious low-fat meals high in calcium and iron.
3. Flush water from tap for two minutes before drinking.
4. Use cold tap water to prepare baby formula.
5. Do not allow children or pets to play in dirt within three feet of the house’s foundation.
6. Wipe dust from horizontal surfaces (counters, tables or floors) with a wet cloth or mop.
7. Use a doormat to wipe feet or remove shoes to keep dust out of the house.
8. Remove imported vinyl mini-blinds from areas frequented by small children.
9. Keep children away from paint chips and lead dust.
10. Learn if your home contains lead-based paint.
11. Contact your local health department for guidelines on remodeling a home with lead-based paint.
12. Avoid candy from Mexico or other countries that contains tamarind and/or chili.
13. Avoid storing or cooking food in traditional, handmade pottery from Mexico.
14. Follow the guidelines listed below to prevent bringing lead home from work.

How do you prevent lead exposure in adults?

Precautions should be taken for work involving shipbuilding; iron processing; painting, resurfacing, and demolition of bridges, towers and other steel structures; battery manufacturing and recycling; radiator manufacturing and repair; scrap metal; firing ranges; fishing weight production; leaded glass manufacturing; lead ore production and smelting.

To reduce exposure to lead, workers should:

1. Wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking.
2. Eat, drink and smoke only in areas free of lead dust and fumes.
3. Work with your employer to reduce lead in the workplace. This may include special ventilation equipment or use of a properly fitted respirator.
4. Do not sweep or blow lead-contaminated dust. Wet cleaning and vacuuming are safer.

How do you keep from bringing lead home from work?

1. Use separate work clothes and shoes while at work.
2. Keep street clothes in a clean place.
3. Shower at work before going home.
4. Launder work clothes at work. If you take clothes home, wash and dry them separately.

How is lead used?

Historically, lead was used as a pigment in house paint, an additive to gasoline and as a pesticide. Currently, it is used in lead-acid batteries, fishing weights, marine paint, lead shot, bullets, and in the manufacture of some plastics.

In 1990 the lead-acid battery industry accounted for about 80 percent of the domestic lead production. Ammunition, brass and bronze, extruded products, sheet lead, ballast, containers, ceramics, and gasoline additives represented the remaining 20 percent. Recently, the electronics industry is using more lead in the areas of magnetic imaging, transistors, night vision equipment, and energy generation.

Where is lead found?

Paint: Lead-based paint is the most common source of lead poisoning for children in the nation. Lead was widely used in most interior and exterior oil-based paint prior to 1950. Children are exposed to lead when they eat paint chips or chew painted surfaces. Lead-based paint is most dangerous when it is peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking, or is located on a surface that is subject to damage from repeated impacts such as door frames. Improper renovation of homes with-lead based paint can generate lead in the air, dust and soil in and around the home.

Soil and dust: Lead-based paint can be a major source of lead-contaminated soil around the home as a result of peeling and chipping paint and remodeling activities, such as sanding and scraping of paint. Industries such as lead ore mining, lead ore milling, smelting, municipal solid waste incinerators, and lead-acid battery recycling facilities can be sources of lead-contaminated soils. Lead-contaminated soil is a potential source of exposure, directly through a child’s hand-to-mouth activity, and indirectly as a contributor to indoor floor dust when tracked into the home.

Air: Sources of airborne lead include emissions from gasoline combustion, smelters, and battery manufacturers, among others. Windblown dust is another source when the dust contains lead. Due to the federal Clean Air Act, there is less lead in motor fuels and tighter emission controls on industrial activities. This has driven air emissions of lead down nearly 90 percent during the last 20 years.

Water: Industrial facilities, urban runoff and atmospheric deposition are sources of lead in the aquatic environment. Lead solder can contaminate drinking water. For more information, call the local health department or EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791.

• Avoid direct contact with soil if you live near a lead polluter, in an urban area or near a highway. Touching soil with bare hands and getting it into the mouth can be hazardous.
• Keep kids on grassy areas or pavement when they play outside, and avoid playing in the dirt. Wash hands as soon as you get home.
• Save food and snacks for indoors, after you've washed up. Lead lingers in soil and dust, and can get ingested when kids put their hands in their mouths.
• Take shoes off at the door to avoid tracking contaminated dust or soil into the house.
• Vacuum carpets frequently -- a HEPA vacuum cleaner is best. Also use a damp rag to clean windowsills, surfaces and moldings. A damp mop is the best way to clean up lead dust particles from hard floors.
• Use gloves when you're gardening, and if you want to grow food, have the soil tested for heavy metals first. Alternatively, dig out the area of the garden bed, down to a depth of six inches or more, and replace the soil with clean topsoil. Root and vegetable crops, such as carrots and lettuce, tend to pick up more lead. Choose fruit crops such as corn, beans, squash, tomatoes or strawberries to minimize the risk of lead contamination.
• Check for peeling or flaking paint, especially around windows, doorframes and molding, if your house was built before 1978. Get the paint tested. The do-it yourself kits available at most hardware stores aren't always completely reliable, but they're a reasonable first step. Before having any renovations done, have the paint professionally tested. If there is lead in the paint, make sure a certified lead remediation contractor does the renovation work.
• Test imported dishware or pottery with a lead swab, available at most hardware stores, before cooking or serving food in it. Lead paints and glazes are still used outside the United States and Europe, and contaminated dishware and pottery -- particularly from Mexico and China -- has been found on store shelves in the United States.
• Watch out for toys imported from China, cheap kids' costume jewelry and candy made in Mexico -- these products could be contaminated with lead and pose a risk to children.
• Let tap water run a couple of minutes in the morning before you drink it, to make sure any water that has been standing in the pipes has run through -- you can collect it for watering your plants. Or use an NSF-certified water filter, available at most stores, for your drinking water. Charcoal filters (including filter pitchers) are effective at removing lead.
• Avoid drinking regularly from leaded crystal if you're pregnant

 

More sources of lead

In 2007, millions of toys made in China were recalled from multiple countries due to safety hazards including lead paint.  Vinyl mini-blinds, found especially in older housing, may contain lead. Lead is commonly incorporated into herbal remedies such as Indian Ayurvedic preparations and remedies of Chinese origin. There are also risks of elevated blood lead levels caused by folk remedies like azarcon and greta, which each contain about 95% lead Ingestion of metallic lead, such as small lead fishing lures, increases blood lead levels and can be fatal.  Ingestion of lead-contaminated food is also a threat. Ceramic glaze often contains lead, and dishes that have been improperly fired can leach the metal into food, potentially causing severe poisoning  In some places, the solder in cans used for food contains lead. People who eat animals hunted with lead bullets may be at risk for lead exposure Bullets lodged in the body rarely cause significant levels of lead poisoning but bullets lodged in the joints are the exception, as they deteriorate and release lead into the body over time

 

Other sources of lead in the home.

Hobbies:

• Making stained glass windows using lead solder
• Glazing and firing pottery and ceramics
• Making lead weights
• Reloading and making ammunition
• Target practice on indoor and outdoor firing ranges
• Refinishing furniture
• Remolding

 

Home Remedies:

• Azarcon and greta are bright colored powders containing almost 100 percent lead. They are often used within the Hispanic community and are given to children with intestinal illness or empacho.
• Pay-loo-ah is a red or orange powder used within the Hmong community and given to children as a cure for rash or fever.
• Ghasard, Bala Goli, and Kandu are Asian Indian remedies used for stomachaches.
• Kohl or surma are used by Arab communities for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.

Where is blood lead testing done?

Parents who want their children tested should contact a pediatrician or health care provider.

Where can I get more information?

• All questions regarding lead, call toll free (800) 909-9898.
• Lead Surveillance and Reporting, call Eric Ossiander, Office of Epidemiology, 
  (360) 236-4252.
• Information about lead in the workplace, call Steve Whittaker, Department of Labor and Industries, (360) 902-5663.
• For general information call the National Lead Information Center 1-800-LEAD-FYI
• For information in Spanish, call 1-800-424-5323.