Team:WLC-Milwaukee/Background

PLACEHOLDER

WLC iGEM 2019 | Background

Background

What is lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism, happens when lead is ingested. When the amount of lead ingested reaches 5 µg/dL in the blood, someone is considered poisoned (5). There is difficulty in detecting lead poisoning right away for a number of reasons. Lead builds up in the body over time, so drinking slightly contaminated water over a long period of time can lead to a higher level in the blood (8). Often no symptoms occur until significant damage has already been done to an organ or organ system (6,8). The delay of the appearance of symptoms along with the amount of time it can take for lead to build up in the blood can make it difficult for families to realize that lead is the culprit of their symptoms. Lead poisoning is also difficult to detect in the home because lead lacks distinct olfactory characteristics and is not visibly conspicuous in water (8).

What are the sources of lead poisoning?

Lead is found in a variety of common items (8): - Water from lead pipes and sink faucets - Old house paint (from before 1978) - Toys from outside the United States - Paint sets and art supplies - Soil contaminated by chipping house pant or car exhaust - Certain cosmetics - Bullets

How dangerous is lead poisoning?

Researchers at the Public Health Institute’s California Environmental Health Tracking Program, the number of children in the US with lead poisoning has reached over 1.2 million (5). Lead poisoning is dangerous because it is harmful to any of the bodily systems it comes into contact with, particularly for children (6,7,8). Because their brains are still developing, lead poisoning can lead to intellectual disabilities or hyperactivity disorders like ADHD or ADD (5,8). Symptoms in children include but are not limited to (6,8): - Developmental delay - Learning disabilities - Irritability - Vomiting - Constipation - Growth delays - Problems with hearing Adults can also suffer from lead poisoning. Adult symptoms include but are not limited to (6,8): - Hearing loss - Headaches - Difficulty with memory and concentration - Abdominal pain - Irritability - Sleeping problems - Irritability

How is lead poisoning prevented?

Removing sources of lead makes a noticeable difference in reducing the symptoms of lead poisoning (2). Using at-home test kits is a good way to check possible sources of contamination (2). Washing hands, dusting, and cleaning children’s toys and bottles regularly are simple ways to improve protection against lead poisoning (6,8). For houses with lead plumbing, it is important to run cold water for about a minute before using it (6,8).

What is wintergreen?

Methyl salicylate, more commonly known as wintergreen oil, is an organic oil derived from the Gaultheria plant (12). Wintergreen is popularly used in gum for its minty smell and taste, but also has properties that can help relieve headaches, fevers, swelling, arthritis, and stomach problems (12). The distinct odor of methyl salicylate makes it a perfect option for our Lead Scentsor. Sulfurous molecules would not work as well because sulfur can be found in water for other reasons. The scent would not be as noticeable as that of methyl salicylate which should never be found in water.

How does lead poisoning affect Milwaukee?

Between January 1st, and October 30th, of 2018, 22,744 Milwaukee children were tested for lead poisoning, of those who were tested, 941 were found to have elevated blood lead levels (9). In addition to these patient cases, there were 102 addresses linked to 93 lead-poisoned children that need environmental investigations (9). Lead paint seems to be the leading cause of poisoning among children according to Milwaukee’s Mayor, Tom Barrett (9).

Wisconsin’s public water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, which states that government agencies are required to take action to reduce lead in drinking water when more than 10% of sampled facility results exceed 15 ppb (3). They are also required to notify homeowners of high levels of lead and required to fill out a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) summarizing the test results and making the results available to all consumers of community water systems (3).

Sources:

  1. Bokas, T. Soft gel capsules: key considerations for drug makers https://www.epmmagazine.com/opinion/soft-gel-capsules-key-considerations-for-drug-makers/ (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  2. CDC - Lead - National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/data/nhanes.htm (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  3. Drinking Water and Lead https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/drinkingwater/lead.html (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  4. Empty Gelatin Capsules https://capsuline.com/ (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  5. Frostenson, S. 1.2 million children in the US have lead poisoning. We're only treating half of them. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/4/27/15424050/us-underreports-lead-poisoning-cases-map-community (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  6. Lead poisoning https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717 (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  7. Lead poisoning: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002473.htm (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  8. Murrell, D. Lead Poisoning https://www.healthline.com/health/lead-poisoning#causes (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  9. Spicuzza, M. Mayor Barrett declares Milwaukee has turned the corner on lead crisis https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2018/11/16/tom-barrett-milwaukee-has-made-dramatic-progress-lead-crisis/2016862002/ (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  10. What Are Soft and Hard Gelatin Capsules? https://www.lfatabletpresses.com/articles/soft-hard-gelatin-capsules (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  11. What is a capsule? https://swallowingdifficulties.com/healthcare-professionals/prescribing-different-formulations/what-is-a-capsule/ (accessed Oct 1, 2019).
  12. Wintergreen: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-783/wintergreen (accessed Oct 1, 2019).

WLC-Milwaukee