Juberg D R, Kleiman C F, Kwon S C
American Council on Science and Health, New York, New York 10023-5860, USA.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 1997 Dec;38(3):162-80. doi: 10.1006/eesa.1997.1591.
The potential human health risk of lead in the environment remains a topic of current debate and concern. Given sufficient exposure, lead can exert severe and chronic health effects. Today, due to successful efforts to reduce the commercial use of lead and control its release to the environment, lead "poisoning" is uncommon in our society. Blood-lead levels among the U.S. population, including those of children, have decreased dramatically over the past decade and according to current surveillance programs continue to decline. Because lead poisoning among children is no longer as prevalent as it once was, the focus has shifted to the long-term effects lead may exert on the intellectual development of children. Continued toxicological and epidemiological research will expand the understanding of this important facet of the lead issue. Trace levels of lead in consumer products remain a low health risk to humans, despite the fear and uncertainty which often accompany such concerns. Future efforts to reduce lead exposure should be aimed at high-risk groups which include the socioeconomically disadvantaged and certain minority sectors of the population. Through educational programs, improvement in personal hygiene practices, and abatement of lead-containing paint (when warranted), blood lead levels should continue to decline, reducing the health risk to lead in the environment.
环境中铅对人类健康的潜在风险仍是当前争论和关注的话题。如果接触量足够，铅会对健康产生严重的慢性影响。如今，由于在减少铅的商业用途以及控制其向环境排放方面所做的努力取得了成功，铅“中毒”在我们的社会中已不常见。在过去十年里，美国人口（包括儿童）的血铅水平大幅下降，并且根据当前的监测项目，这一水平还在持续下降。由于儿童铅中毒已不像过去那样普遍，关注点已转向铅可能对儿童智力发育产生的长期影响。持续的毒理学和流行病学研究将加深对铅问题这一重要方面的理解。消费品中的微量铅对人类健康风险较低，尽管此类担忧往往伴随着恐惧和不确定性。未来减少铅接触的努力应针对高风险群体，其中包括社会经济地位不利群体和特定的少数族裔人群。通过开展教育项目、改善个人卫生习惯以及在必要时清除含铅油漆，血铅水平应会继续下降，从而降低环境中铅对健康的风险。
