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A study involving more than 1,000 people revealed a link between exposure to high levels of lead in children and mental health issues later in life. The researchers warned that the negative effects of the toxic metal could appear until three or four decades later. ( Manfred Antranias Zimmer | pixabay )
Researchers have discovered a link between lead exposure in childhood and the likelihood of developing mental health issues later in life.
In one article, a team of researchers from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, investigated the long-term consequences of the toxic substance. They found that people with high levels of lead in their blood during childhood developed mental health problems and / or unhealthy personality traits by the time they were 38 years old.
The paper was published in the newspaper JAMA Psychiatry.
Lead exposure related to mental health problems
For this study, researchers badyzed data from more than 1,000 New Zealand people born between 1972 and 1973. Of these, 579 had blood tests at the age of 11 years. About 94% of them had lead concentrations greater than 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood.
"These are historical data from a time when lead levels of this type were considered normal and not dangerous to children, so most of the participants in our study never received treatment. for the toxicity of lead, "said Terrie Moffitt, lead author of the study.
New Zealand is one of the countries that has added the highest levels of lead in gasoline to maintain engine durability in the day. Common metal was widely used in a variety of products including paint, pipe, solder and cosmetics.
However, over the years, lead has been declared toxic to humans. The World Health Organization has stated that no level of lead was safe and that exposure could lead to various health problems, including high blood pressure and kidney damage. Previous studies have also linked behavioral deficiencies with intelligence.
The researchers badessed participants' mental health by examining 11 disorders: alcohol abuse, cannabis addiction, smoking, substance abuse, driving disorders, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder , phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mania and schizophrenia.
After examining the psychopathological factor (p-factor), a measure used to badess participants' mental health and compared to lead in their blood, the researchers concluded that exposure to lead had long-term effects. In fact, this could have negative effects of up to three or four decades.
"Exposure to lead decades ago could harm the mental health of people aged 40 to 50," said Jonathan Schaefer.
Exposure to lead and personality
The researchers also involved family and friends of participants to evaluate the effects of lead exposure in children on their personality in adulthood. They found that people exposed to high concentrations of toxic metal had neurotic tendencies, were less pleasant and less conscientious.
However, the study did not show that high levels of lead in the blood could cause mental health problems later in life. He only showed an badociation that needs to be deepened.
The researchers hope to determine if lead exposure in childhood plays a role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular problems later in life.
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