Exposure to lead is more hazardous to children as they tend to absorb more lead than adults. Dangers of lead exposure in children include stunted growth, kidney failure, hearing problems and abnormality in behavior and learning abilities.

Lead exposure predominantly occurs due to lead based paints that were used in many old homes. Due to safety reasons, lead based paints have been long banned in the US and several other countries. However, there are also different ways by which children can get exposed to lead. In a recent statement, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the US Food and Drug Administration have declared that the toys manufactured in China contain hazardous amounts of lead in the form of lead based paint. As a result, several major companies such as Fisher Price had to recall millions of Chinese-made toys containing lead paint and also toys that were made with small and powerful magnets. Some of these toys are really popular with children such as Dora the Explorer, gangly dolls of Big Bird from Sesame Street, Barbie, Polly Pocket, Doggy Day Care and Batman.

Lead poisoning due to toys occurs in children only when a child has chewed off a significant portion of paint from the toy. Continuous sucking of such toys and putting them in the mouth for days at a stretch is considered as hazardous.

Removing lead and other toxic metals from the environment is almost an impossible task. However, one can eliminate environmental hazards and improve the quality of the environment by utilizing the services of certain microscopic organisms that are called as microbes or microorganisms, a process known as bioremediation. Microbes such as Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Pseudomonas marginalis, Bacillus megaterium, Pectonema boryanum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Desulfosporosinus orientis and those belonging to Citrobacter species are all capable of immobilizing lead.

More Articles:

• How much Lead Can Cause Lead Poisoing ?

Dangerous Drugs & Medicine