Skip to main content
PMC home page
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 1990 Nov;89:75–78. doi: 10.1289/ehp.908975

Environmental lead toxicity: nutrition as a component of intervention.

K R Mahaffey 1
PMCID: PMC1567783  PMID: 2088758

Abstract

The influence of nutritional status on susceptibility to the toxicity of lead is discussed. Emphasis is given to dietary factors of substantial clinical importance. Subtle changes in susceptibility are difficult to evaluate under conditions of overwhelming lead exposure. It is clear that subtle effects of lead exposure on neurobehavioral and cognitive development are a major concern. The role of nutrition is considered to be an adjunct to reduction of environmental lead exposure, which is the primary means of reducing adverse health effects of lead. Nutrition should be evaluated as a component of strategies to address this broad societal issue.

Full text

PDF
75

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bellinger D. C., Needleman H. L., Leviton A., Waternaux C., Rabinowitz M. B., Nichols M. L. Early sensory-motor development and prenatal exposure to lead. Neurobehav Toxicol Teratol. 1984 Sep-Oct;6(5):387–402. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blake K. C., Mann M. Effect of calcium and phosphorus on the gastrointestinal absorption of 203Pb in man. Environ Res. 1983 Feb;30(1):188–194. doi: 10.1016/0013-9351(83)90179-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dietrich K. N., Krafft K. M., Bornschein R. L., Hammond P. B., Berger O., Succop P. A., Bier M. Low-level fetal lead exposure effect on neurobehavioral development in early infancy. Pediatrics. 1987 Nov;80(5):721–730. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hamilton D. L. Interrelationships of lead and iron retention in iron-deficient mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1978 Dec;46(3):651–661. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(78)90310-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Keller C. A., Doherty R. A. Bone lead mobilization in lactating mice and lead transfer to suckling offspring. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1980 Sep 15;55(2):220–228. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(80)90083-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lozoff B., Brittenham G. M., Viteri F. E., Wolf A. W., Urrutia J. J. Developmental deficits in iron-deficient infants: effects of age and severity of iron lack. J Pediatr. 1982 Dec;101(6):948–952. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(82)80016-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mahaffey K. R., Annest J. L. Association of erythrocyte protoporphyrin with blood lead level and iron status in the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1976-1980. Environ Res. 1986 Oct;41(1):327–338. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(86)80194-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mahaffey K. R., Goyer R., Haseman J. K. Dose-response to lead ingestion in rats fed low dietary calcium. J Lab Clin Med. 1973 Jul;82(1):92–100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. McMichael A. J., Baghurst P. A., Wigg N. R., Vimpani G. V., Robertson E. F., Roberts R. J. Port Pirie Cohort Study: environmental exposure to lead and children's abilities at the age of four years. N Engl J Med. 1988 Aug 25;319(8):468–475. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198808253190803. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Oski F. A., Honig A. S., Helu B., Howanitz P. Effect of iron therapy on behavior performance in nonanemic, iron-deficient infants. Pediatrics. 1983 Jun;71(6):877–880. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Oski F. A., Honig A. S. The effects of therapy on the developmental scores of iron-deficient infants. J Pediatr. 1978 Jan;92(1):21–25. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(78)80063-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Pollitt E., Leibel R. L. Iron deficiency and behavior. J Pediatr. 1976 Mar;88(3):372–381. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(76)80250-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rabinowitz M. B., Kopple J. D., Wetherill G. W. Effect of food intake and fasting on gastrointestinal lead absorption in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 Aug;33(8):1784–1788. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.8.1784. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ragan H. A. Effects of iron deficiency on the absorption and distribution of lead and cadmium in rats. J Lab Clin Med. 1977 Oct;90(4):700–706. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Silbergeld E. K., Schwartz J., Mahaffey K. Lead and osteoporosis: mobilization of lead from bone in postmenopausal women. Environ Res. 1988 Oct;47(1):79–94. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(88)80023-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Six K. M., Goyer R. A. Experimental enhancement of lead toxicity by low dietary calcium. J Lab Clin Med. 1970 Dec;76(6):933–942. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Six K. M., Goyer R. A. The influence of iron deficiency on tissue content and toxicity of ingested lead in the rat. J Lab Clin Med. 1972 Jan;79(1):128–136. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sullivan M. F., Ruemmler P. S. Effect of excess Fe on Cd or Pb absorption by rats. J Toxicol Environ Health. 1987;22(2):131–139. doi: 10.1080/15287398709531057. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Thompson G. N., Robertson E. F., Fitzgerald S. Lead mobilization during pregnancy. Med J Aust. 1985 Aug 5;143(3):131–131. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1985.tb122859.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Watson W. S., Hume R., Moore M. R. Oral absorption of lead and iron. Lancet. 1980 Aug 2;2(8188):236–237. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90124-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Watson W. S., Morrison J., Bethel M. I., Baldwin N. M., Lyon D. T., Dobson H., Moore M. R., Hume R. Food iron and lead absorption in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1986 Aug;44(2):248–256. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/44.2.248. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES