A bioaccumulative substance such as lead can be stored in various organs and tissues of the body. As lead-containing tissues are consumed by larger organisms in the food chain, a cumulative effect occurs in each subsequent organism. For example, a fish in a lead-contaminated environment may be exposed to lead in the water and in the organisms that it eats, which have accumulated lead from their food source, and so on down the chain. Organisms at the top of the food chain are, therefore, exposed to higher concentrations of lead.
In humans, long-term exposure can result in brain and nerve disorders, anemia, elevate blood pressure, reproductive problems, decreases in red blood cell formation, and slower reflexes. In high enough doses or after long-term bioaccumulation, lead exposure can cause death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Interim Final Rule on Lead Exposure in Construction (29 CFR 1926.62) describes long-term overexposure effects of lead and provides uniform inspection and compliance guidance for lead exposure in construction.
The primary methods of exposure to toxic levels of lead are through inhalation and ingestion. For example, paint removal workers may inhale leaded dust or, in the absence of proper cleaning and preventative measures, may ingest lead after it has settled on food, cigarettes, utensils, or other items placed in their mouths.
