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Lead Poisoning (lead + poisoning)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	42%
Life Sciences	42%

Selected Abstracts

Demography of the California Condor: Implications for Reestablishment

CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
Vicky J. Meretsky
The most prominent mortality factor was lead poisoning resulting from ingestion of bullet fragments in carcasses. Successful captive breeding has allowed many birds to be released to the wild since 1992, based originally on an assumption that exposure to lead could be prevented by food subsidy. The mortality of released birds, however, has generally exceeded levels needed for population stability calculated from simple population models. Collision with overhead wires was the most frequent cause of death in releases before 1994. Lead poisoning again surfaced as a problem starting in 1997 as older birds began feeding on carcasses outside the subsidy program. Although poisonings have been treated successfully by chelation therapy in recaptured birds, food subsidy is proving an ineffective solution to lead exposure. The best long-term solution appears to be either the creation of large reserves where hunting is prohibited or the restriction of hunting to nontoxic ammunition in release areas. Until sources of lead contamination are effectively countered, releases cannot be expected to result in viable populations. In addition, problems involving human-oriented behavior have resulted in the permanent removal of many released birds from the wild. The most promising reduction in human-oriented behavior has been achieved in one release of aversively conditioned, parent-reared birds. Rigorous evaluation of the factors reducing attraction to humans and human structures has been hampered by confounding of techniques in releases. Behavioral problems could be more quickly overcome by adoption of a comprehensive experimental approach. Resumen: Las poblaciones silvestres remanentes del cóndor de California (Gymnogyps californianus) de los anõs 80 exhibieron una disminución poblacional rápida debido a altas tasas de mortalidad de individuos adultos e inmaduros. El factor de mortalidad más prominente fue el envenenamiento por plomo ocasionado por la ingestión de fragmentos de municiones en cadáveres. La reproducción exitosa en cautiverio ha permitido muchas liberaciones en ambientes silvestres desde 1992, bajo el argumento de que la exposición al plomo puede ser prevenida mediante el subsidio de alimento. Sin embargo, la mortalidad de aves liberadas ha excedido generalmente los niveles necesarios para alcanzar una estabilidad poblacional calculada a partir de modelos poblacionales simples. Las colisiones con alambres en lo alto fueron la causa más frecuente de las muertes en liberaciones anteriores a 1994. A partir de 1997, el envenenamiento con plomo surgió una vez más como un problema, puesto que las aves de edad avanzada comenzaron a alimentarse de cadáveres fuera del programa de subsidio. A pesar de que el envenenamiento ha sido tratado exitosamente mediante terapia de quelación de las aves recapturadas, el subsidio de alimento ha probado ser una solución ineficaz contra la exposición al plomo. Las mejores soluciones de largo plazo aparentan ser la creación de reservas grandes donde la caza sea prohibida o se restrinja la caza a municiones no tóxicas en las áreas de liberación. Solo una vez que la contaminación por plomo sea contrarrestada efectivamente, no se podrá esperar que las liberaciones resulten en poblaciones viables. Además, los problemas de conductas orientadas hacia humanos ha resultado en la remoción permanente de muchas aves liberadas de zonas silvestres. La reducción más prometedora de conductas orientadas hacia humanos ha sido obtenida en una liberación de aves criadas por sus padres y condicionadas adversamente. La evaluación rigurosa de los factores que reducen la atracción hacia humanos y estructuras de humanos ha sido obstaculizada por la confusión de técnicas en las liberaciones. Los problemas de conducta podrían ser superados más rápidamente mediante la adopción de una estrategia experimental comprensiva. [source]

Lead toxicosis in the horse: A review

EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION, Issue 10 2010
B. Puschner
Summary Lead intoxication is rarely diagnosed in horses and can present a major challenge to the equine practitioner because of the variety of clinical signs. Horses with lead poisoning can develop gastrointestinal disturbances, neurological abnormalities, haematological changes, or nonspecific signs of weight loss, weakness and rough hair coat, which makes early diagnosis difficult. Fortunately, lead analysis of whole blood is routinely available and can confirm intoxication. Because of the well-described lead-induced peripheral neuropathies in horses, a thorough neurological examination is essential in the investigation of a suspect case. Once diagnosed, the source of lead has to be identified and further exposure prevented. Intoxication can be treated by administering chelating drugs and providing symptomatic and supportive care. [source]

Three Unusual Neuropathologic-Related Causes of Sudden Death,

JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 3 2008
Dennis J. Chute M.D.
Abstract:, We discuss the autopsy findings of three medico-legal cases of sudden death associated with uncommon neuropathologic findings of which the general forensic pathologist may not be familiar. Case 1 was a 43-year-old man who died of a seizure due to malignant melanoma of the temporal lobe associated with neurocutaneous melanosis (NCM). Case 2 was a 57-year-old woman with a history of mental retardation and incoordination because of chronic lead poisoning, who died of a pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep venous thrombosis status post left leg fracture after a fall down a staircase. Autopsy revealed atrophy and gliosis of her cerebellum as a result of childhood lead poisoning. The third patient was a 75-year-old woman who died as a result of acute bacterial leptomeningitis at the cervico-medullary junction with acute inflammation of the connective tissue of her upper cervical spinal column associated with subluxation of her atlantoaxial (AA) joint, also known as Grisel's syndrome. [source]

Geographic Information Systems: A New Tool for Environmental Health Assessments

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2006
Mona Choi
ABSTRACT Objectives: (1) To develop tools for health care professionals and communities to assess environmental exposures and (2) to evaluate the utility of integrating patient-reported environmental health information with geographic information systems (GIS) mapping of environmental data in a pilot study. Methods: A survey was used to collect self-reported environmental exposure and health data from a convenience sample of people at an urban community health center (N=101). Environmental exposure and census information were obtained from federal agencies. Analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and GIS. Results: Frequent environmental health risk factors were reported, such as older housing (93%) and household smoking (78%). Health problems including asthma (54%) and lead poisoning (14%) were reported. Odds ratios indicated a statistically significant relationship between mold/mildew and reporting asthma. GIS was found to be a useful tool in displaying environmental risk factors and potentially associated health effects. Conclusions: Given the important role that environmental health risks can play in public health, it is critical that community/public health nurses begin to integrate environmental health assessment skills into their professional practices. Simple community surveys can be an effective means to raise awareness about environmental health risk factors and utilizing GIS can further enhance the accessibility of the combined exposure and health information. [source]

Assessment of demographic risk factors and management priorities: impacts on juveniles substantially affect population viability of a long-lived seabird

ANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 2 2010
M. E. Finkelstein
Abstract Predicting population-level effects from changes in demographic rates of different life stages is critical to prioritize conservation efforts. Demographic modeling and sensitivity analysis in particular, has become a standard tool to evaluate how management actions influence species' survival. Demographic analyses have resulted in the robust generalization that, for long-lived species with delayed reproduction, population growth rates will be most sensitive to changes in survivorship of older-aged individuals. Although useful in guiding management, this simple maxim may limit options for conservation by causing managers to overlook actions that, although possibly not the most effective in terms of increasing a population's growth rate in an ideal world, can nonetheless more feasibly and rapidly slow a population's decline. We examine the population-level benefits of increasing chick survival in a long-lived seabird, the Laysan albatross Phoebastria immutabilis. Specifically, we use a simple deterministic modeling approach to evaluate the impact of chick mortality (from ingestion of lead-based paint) on the population growth rate (,) for Laysan albatross that breed on Sand Island, Midway Atoll (part of the Hawaiian Archipelago). We estimate that up to 7% of chicks on Sand Island fail to fledge as a result of lead poisoning, which will create a 16% reduction in the Laysan albatross population size (,190 000 less birds) at 50 years into the future. We demonstrate how straightforward management actions that increase juvenile survivorship (e.g. removal of lead-based paint) can help slow population declines while efforts are underway to reduce politically and logistically challenging threats to adult survivorship (e.g. mortality from international fisheries bycatch). Our work exemplifies a situation where overgeneralizations about demography can stifle useful conservation actions and highlights the need to consider the population-level benefits from multiple management strategies. [source]

Lack of association of ,-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase genotype with blood lead levels in environmentally exposed children of Uygur and Han populations

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 12 2008
Yan Chen
Abstract Aim: A cross-section study was conducted to explore the association between polymorphism of ,-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) and lead poisoning in Uygur and Han children in China. Methods: The ALAD genotyping was determined by PCR-RFLP in 443 Uygur and 469 Han children aged 6,10 years from Urumqi in Xinjiang province. Results: The blood lead levels of 912 environmentally exposed children ranged from 0.5 to 48.2 ,g/dL, with a mean of 5.45 ,g/dL and a standard deviation of 0.22 ,g/dL, and 23. Thirty-one percent individuals were with blood lead level ,10 ,g/dL. The mean and standard deviation of blood lead levels were 5.57 ± 0.223 ,g/dL and 5.30 ± 0.224 ,g/dL in Uygur and Han children, respectively. The frequencies of the allele ALAD1 and ALAD2 in Uygur subjects were 90.52% and 9.48%, and in Han subjects were 95.73% and 4.27%, respectively (chi-square = 19.55, p < 0.05). No statistic correlation between the distribution of ALAD alleles and the blood lead level was found in both populations. Conclusion: A significant difference was seen in the frequency distribution of ALAD genotype between the different races. The genetic susceptibility of ALAD polymorphism to lead toxicity may exhibit in a lead dose-dependent manner. [source]