Hitting Gray Matter.... Hard...

There is no known “safe” level of exposure to lead.  Obviously, a child sucking down lead-based paint chips like they were Oreos will suffer greater health impacts than would someone whose exposure is limited to occasional inhalation of industrially polluted air from a plant three hundred miles away; still, the point is, we have been poisoning ourselves for the three-thousand plus known years of lead mining, and there does not appear to be any sign of stopping any time soon.

The littany of dread associated with lead poisoning has always included symptoms usually associated with higher-dose exposures, although chronic lead exposure has also gained notoriety lately.  Those suffering headache, abdominal pain, memory loss, kidney failure, erectile dysfunction, pain or tingling in extremeties, loss of apetite, vomiting, weight loss, constipation, anemia, irritability, or learning disabilities are likely to be more obvious sufferers from lead toxicity than those with lower-key symptoms from chronic exposure.

Added to the above maladies is a newly discovered result of lead exposure, which may have farther-reaching consequences for our society – even for our species as a whole.

Recent research suggests that the development of the anterior cingulate is adversely affected by exposure to lead. 

The anterior cingluate cortex is the front portion of the cingulate cortex; it forms a ‘U’ shaped covering of the corpus callosum, the “middle” part of the brain, which connects the left and right hemispheres.  In addition to playing a significant role in a wide variety of autonomic functions such as regulating blood pressure and heart rate, the anterior cingulate also appears to have an important part to play in complex rational cognitive functions, such as reward anticipation, decision-making, empathy and emotion.

A smaller anterior cingulate cortex, as occurs in persons with more exposure to chronic sources of lead, such as air pollution (especially historically, prior to the removal of lead from petroleum), places more emphasis on stimulus processing in the amygdalla, frequently referred to as the “reptilian brain” because it is the portion of our brain responsible for more primitive responses, particularly fearful responses.

Fight or flight responses come from the amygdalla; subtle, nuanced responses come only from the cingulate.  This makes a lot of sense, because a subtle, nuanced response typically involves cross-chatter between the logos and mythos – between what “is”, determined rationally and mathmatically (ie, “left brain”) and what “ought to be”, determined emotionally, aesthetically, and morally (ie, “right brain”).  Knee-jerk reactions are reptillian; thoughtful responses which take some time to formulate, and also some time to explain, are more complicated.

Obviously, by reducing the size of the anterior cingulate, and emphasizing the amygdalla, we have created a problem which goes far beyond the scope of the individual patient.  We have collectively increased the likelihood of paranoid responses on the part of large segments of our population, and virtually no one is immune.

Lead is everywhere.  The best-known culprit for lead poisoning is paint, found particularly in homes built prior to 1978; lead-based paint is not isolated to any particular region – it may be found in the city, country, or suburbs, in apartments, single-family homes, and both private and public housing, both on the interior and the exterior.

Soil may be contaminated in neighborhoods where lead based paint was once used; it may stay in the soil indefinitely, and may actually be made worse by the removal of lead-based paint from homes, depending on the removal method.  Tracking of soil into and out of contaminated spaces make it likely that dust in many places also contains lead.

Lead pipes and lead solder mean that frequently concentrations of lead may be found in drinking water.  On occasion, municipal water supplies will be contaminated without notice because in between tests for lead, chlorine or chlordate concentrations will be changed, and the new chemical combinations will not be first tested for impact on lead pipes or lead solder – by the time changes in lead concentrations are noticed, it is too late to stop the exposure.

Lead-based batteries are slowly being replaced by other technologies, but they are still the cheapest and most efficient sources of battery power for most applications; lead pollution comes from each phase of their lives – production, use, and disposal of lead batteries all give ample opportunity for exposure to lead.

Foods and liquids may be contaminated by storage in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelin.  Lead smelters and other industries release lead into the air.  Hobbyists using lead may not even be aware that pottery, stained glass, or furniture refinishing may contribute to lead poisoning.

Lead is, quite literally, everywhere.  Nor is it likely to go away any time soon – it is simply too important economically for us to practically advocate its eradication.

However, there are several steps we can take to minimize the collective damage we are doing to ourselves.

• Check for lead-based paints in and around your home; a specialized inspector can tell you whether you have lead accumulations in your house.  The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) can provide a list of contacts where you live.
• Distill your drinking water.  Filtering is good, but distilling is even better.
• Keep as many plants in your home as you are capable of keeping alive; several varieties are especially good at filtering the air of heavy metals, but make sure you emphasize keeping varieties which will survive your environment and skill level – we recommend pothos ivy as a hardy and hard-to-kill indoor favorite.
• Clean floors, window frames, window sills and other surfaces weekly.  Use a mop, sponge or paper towel with warm water and a general all-purpose cleaner.
• Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads after cleaning dirty or dusty areas.
• Wash children’s hands often, especially before they eat and before they go to sleep.
• Keep play areas clean.
• Eat right and exercise; a good diet, particularly one high in fiber, prevents the absorption of lead.  A healthy liver can expunge more lead, as well, so eating right is critical, especially for those who cannot limit exposure.
• Look for alternatives to lead-based products.  If you can choose batteries, for example, which do not use lead-acid technology, do so.  If you can avoid using lead-based solder, do so.  If you can avoid using lead pipes, do so.

There is a political subtext to all of this, with irony which does not escape Myrtle’s notice.  Conservatives notoriously oppose virtually all government initiatives designed to protect the environment at the expense of business, and lead abatement would certainly fill the bill.  Recently, studies have suggested that the smaller one’s anterior cingulate, the more conservative one is likely to be in one’s voting behavior.  A vicious circle, no doubt – lead poisoning causes a person to be less concerned about lead poisoning.

In any event, Myrtle is less concerned with whether or not her state is red or blue, just so long as it avoids a dull pewter color.

Happy farming!