Does Your Job or Hobby Put You at Risk for Lead, Mercury, and Heavy Metal Poisoning?

The most frequent question I get asked concerns the mercury and fish issue. The mercury contaminated fish is only one factor in heavy metal poisoning. Your home and community environment, your job and hobbies are a much greater source for these poisons.

Professions that put you at risk for lead and heavy metal poisoning:

Beauticians and Nail Salon Workers: One of the most dangerous chemicals used in nail salons is dibutyl phthalate which is used in nail polish. Dibutyl phthalate is easily absorbed into the skin and intestinal tract. It can cross the placenta into an unborn child. It is linked to birth defects in both humans and mice. Other chemicals include Acetone, Toluene, and Ethyl methacrylate.

Gardeners: Many men who work as gardeners do not always wear masks or gloves.They are exposed to so many pesticides and chemicals on a daily level that it needs an article devoted just to that subject. An example is Roundup, one of the most commonly used home and garden herbicides. It is estimated there are 25 million applications per year of this product. Did you ever think about the chemicals your child is absorbing when playing or crawling on the park grass? Roundup which is a glyphosate herbicide is associated with salivary gland lesions, inflamed stomach lining, genetic damage to human blood cells, reproduction abnormalities, liver tumors, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and more.

Pest Control Workers: Men often do not wear masks or gloves as they should and it will impact their health sooner or later. They too handle numerous chemicals and poisons in their work.

Dental and Lab Assistants: Dental workers are exposed to beryllium used to make crowns, bridges, and dentures. These dental workers are exposed to heavy metals including Lead, Mercury, organic solvents, sterilizing chemicals, and anesthetic gases. Other toxic exposure includes formaldehyde, resin adhesives, glues, and coatings.

Construction Workers: There are more than nine million construction workers who are exposed to harmful chemicals in the building materials they work with daily. Chemicals include arsenic, lead coatings, solvents, asbestos, PCB's, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide, and crystalline silica. Crystalline silica is found in concrete, sandstone, paint, plaster, shingles, and masonry. Most construction workers do not wear masks when they work.

Hospital workers: Hospital workers are exposed to Mercury used in some hospital equipment, ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, anesthetic gases, dangerous drugs used in cancer chemotherapy, and more.

Other occupations that put you at risk are smelting, battery manufacturing, metal foundries, automobile painters, and house painters

Hobbies that put you at risk for lead and heavy metal poisoning:

Gun Enthusiasts: There are more than 10 million gun enthusiasts with more than 200 million non-military firearms in the United States. The projectiles fired are usually made of lead. There are gases released when the weapon is fired that contain lead dust. The lead is absorbed through the handling of the bullets and is taken into the lungs as well. Indoor shooting ranges offer even greater exposure for lead poisoning.

Fishing Enthusiasts: The sinkers used in fishing are the main source of lead in this hobby. Make sure you always wash your hands after using lead sinkers. Never hold lead sinkers in your mouth while loading the pole since lead can be leached out of the sinker and into your blood stream.

Stained glass and jewelry making: These hobbies both involve lead soldering. When you melt lead, a poisonous lead gas is created that is inhaled and circulated through the blood stream. Solder in well-ventilated areas and wear a respirator mask with a HEPA filter. Wash your hands frequently after working with the jewelry or stained glass.

Pottery and ceramics: In this hobby the frits and glazes often contain lead. Lead is absorbed through mixing, spraying, and painting the pieces. Precautions include wearing a mask with a HEPA filter, working in a well-ventilated work space and washing your hands frequently.

As you can see, you are exposed to toxins at every level. You need to be concerned if you work in these professions and take part in these hobbies. If you are having symptoms, you need to see your doctor and get tests to determine if your symptoms are being caused by lead, mercury, or heavy metal poisoning. Please visit the links below to get more information on this life threatening subject.

References:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1145/is_n8_v28/ai_14214318/?tag=content;col1

http://www.kdheks.gov/ables/hobby.html

http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=16

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/294599_nailsalon04.html?source=mypi

http://www.preventharm.org/camp.toxi.shtml

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/lawnchemical080505.cfm