Sorry parents, your kids are going to be criminals

One of the most commonly ingested heavy metals has a direct link to your child’s likeliness to become a criminal.

Today, we dive into the risk of exposure to lead; and how to prevent it from affecting you or your family.

While it is commonly known that lead can affect the brain, especially in young infants, it is only recently that researchers have found a potential link between early-life exposure to lead and later violent crime.

This trend is even more visible when observing it during the Industrial Revolution when lead was at an all-time high and medicine around heavy metals was still primitive…

If your child, or you, grew up in an environment surrounded by lead there is a high chance that the person affected might commit a violent crime later in life.

One of the main causes of lead poisoning today is lead paint in homes. As the graph shows, if your house was built before 1978, there is a chance that its walls were painted with lead paint.

The biggest cause, however, is leaded gasoline. this problem has since been mitigated in more modernized countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom.

In the 1940s, kid’s toys had an immense amount of lead. One example is Kaster’s Soldier mold which included both lead paints and lead molds. Today, these kits are sold on resale websites like eBay as collector’s items…

Amongst other problems that arise from lead poisoning are medical conditions such as infertility, tingling in hands and feet, headaches, constipation and memory issues and more.

In more severe cases: anemia, seizures, coma and death can occur.

However the biggest problem, with the most common occurence in these cases, is intellactual disabilities. According to studies, up to 10% of these life-changing diabilities occur because of lead poisoning.

Unfortunately, some of these effects can be permanent…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US) has set the upper limit for blood lead for adults at 10 μg/dL (10 μg/100 g) and for children at 3.5 μg/dL; before October 2021 the limit was 5 μg/dL. Elevated lead may also be detected by changes in red blood cells or dense lines in the bones of children as seen on X-ray.

How to prevent it

For adults: 

The main way people are exposed to this is in the workplace, if you work with lead in your day-to-day job, please wear proper PPE or consider another line of work.

Remove any potential cause of exposure from your environment such as but not limited to leaded gasoline, lead paint, and wheel weight.

You should also always check your plates for lead and radiation as this is a prevalent way toxic material gets into your system.

If you are in the United States, check if your city is on the list of cities with either lead water pipes or lead in the soil. These lists include Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, New York and more.

If you are outside of the US, a simple Google search should tell you everything you need to know about lead concentration in your city.

For children:

Children face a greater risk than adults, because lead poisoning can easily cause brain damage and developmental problems.

1. Ensure your home is lead-free, especially if built before 1978.

2. Regularly wash children's hands and toys.

3. Use cold water for drinking and cooking, as hot water can contain more lead from pipes.

4. Feed children a diet rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin C, which can help reduce lead absorption.

5. Have your child's blood lead levels tested regularly, especially if you live in an at-risk area.