Lead in Construction

Lead in Construction Review

Pure lead (Pb) is a heavy metal at room temperature and
pressure. A basic chemical element, it can combine with various
other substances to form numerous lead compounds.

Lead has been poisoning workers for thousands of years. Lead
can damage the central nervous system, cardiovascular system,
reproductive system, hematological system, and kidneys. When
absorbed into the body in high enough doses, lead can be toxic.
In addition, workers’ lead exposure can harm their children’s
development.

Short-term (acute) overexposure–as short as days--can cause
acute encephalopathy, a condition affecting the brain that develops
quickly into seizures, coma, and death from cardiorespiratory
arrest. Short-term occupational exposures of this type are highly
unusual but not impossible.

Extended, long-term (chronic) overexposure can result in severe
damage to the central nervous system, particularly the brain. It can
also damage the blood-forming, urinary, and reproductive systems.
There is no sharp dividing line between rapidly developing acute
effects of lead and chronic effects that take longer to develop.