Boyd Kue 1

Desiree Boyd
Kyle Kue
Ms. Tallman
AP Calculus
2 February 2015
Lead in the Body
A hazardous conflict that is still poisoning present day people is the consumption of lead.
Babies and young children are unknowingly eating paint chips and drinking from contaminated
water sources that allow lead to enter the body and corrupt internal organs. Lead can be absorbed
through inhalation or ingestion (Hernandez). Lead spreads readily throughout the system by way
of the bloodstream which carries it to the tissues and bones. It circulates through all three and, if
the source of lead is not removed, more lead will continue to accumulate. The difficulties that
lead poses on human health can be analyzed from four different sources.
First and foremost, the Calculus Investigation of Lead in the Body by M. Hernandez
provides a scenario of lead entering the body. It begins with the mapping out of lead traveling
from the blood (A) to the tissue (B), bones (C), and external compartment (D). Lead leaves the
body at an incredibly slower rate than when it enters. It exits the body through urine, hair, nails,
and sweat. From these four factors, three differential equations had to be constructed in order to
begin calculating the amount of lead in the body over a period of 400 days. The differential
equations are as follows:
Blood : A ( t )=Previous A + 49.3+ ( 0.000035 )C + ( 0.0124 )B( 0.0111 )A( 0.0039 )A( 0.021 )A
Tissue :B ( t )=Previous B+ ( 0.0111 )A( 0.0124 )B( 0.016 )B
Bones :C ( t ) =Previous C + ( 0.0039 )A( 0.000035 )C

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The differential equations produce the number of lead present in each section of the body at a
certain day. The previous days amount of lead must be incorporated into the equations because
more lead is being added into the body every day. The lead transfer coefficients in the equations
were supplied by the scenario. These transfer coefficients, serving as rates of change, and the
previous amounts mentioned are all implemented to the aforementioned equations using Eulers
Method to model the lead content in a persons body. Such a method is used due to the
compliance of its parameters undertaking previous values, rates of change, and constants with
the real life situation.

Lead in the Body (400 Days)

2500.0000
2000.0000
1500.0000

Lead (g) 1000.0000

Blood (A)
Tissue (B)
Bones (C)

500.0000
0.0000

Number of Days

Figure 1. Lead in the Body for 400 Days with Constant Exposure
Figure 1 shows the amount of lead in the body over a 400 day period in the blood, tissue,
and bones. Of the three parts of the body, the bones keep at a steady increase over the course of
the 400 days. Blood and tissue seem to level off around the 100 day mark. If the model was
expanded then the lead content within the bones would only continue to increase, while lead in
the blood and tissue would still level off but fail to see significant decrease. With constant
exposure, the body accumulates more and more lead which will lead to malfunctions in the brain

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and other organs. Brain malfunctions may include inhibited learning and processing. Children
who consume lead at a young age learn at a slower age than children who do not.
Along with the Calculus Investigation, Tina Lams Detroit Press article about lead
poisoning areas in Detroit has sufficient evidence that supports the destructive properties of lead.
Tina begins with explaining the hardships Reggie Cureton must face with his exposure to lead as
a baby. She writes, Thousands of children continue to be diagnosed with lead poisoning each
year, a by-product of older homes with lead-based paint, pervasive poverty and an often
unhealthy diet. 23 students of 39,199 in Detroit Public Schools had a history of lead poisoning.
MEAP scores also showed significantly lower scores in students who were exposed to lead. Lam
wrote, The correlation between high lead level and low test scores carries particular resonance
in Detroit, where students have fared poorly on academic achievement tests. Lam goes on to
make the connection that by performing low on tests coupled with an inability to focus, these
after effects due to lead, could lead to psychological damage to ones character and to a harmful
lifestyle to ones self and community. Lam also cites the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and
other experts state that having over ten or even five micrograms of lead in the body while in the
early stages of development can produce harmful and lifelong hindrances.

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Lead in the Body (no exposure after day 400)

3000.0000000
2500.0000000
2000.0000000
1500.0000000
Lead in the Body (g)
1000.0000000
500.0000000
0.0000000

Blood (A)
Tissue (B)
Bones (C)

Number of Days

Figure 2. Lead in the Body with Constant Exposure for First 400 Days
Figure 2 illustrates that while being exposed to lead consistently for about a year and one
month, then being put in a situation where there was no outside lead source, then the levels of
lead in the blood and tissue would drop. When looking at the lead concentration in the bones
though this value only tends to level off around 2400 micrograms. This value is immensely
higher than the appropriate level, leading to concern for ones health and can be seen to be
extremely detrimental to a childs growth. If this particular model is extended it is seen that the
trace amounts of lead in a persons bones will remain for a significant time, taking over 60 years
to excrete half of the peak amount of lead, but still having a concentration of over 100
micrograms.

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Figure 3. Map of Detroit Public Schools in Relation to Lead Levels by Block

Figure 3 depicts schools within DPS and their location relative to lead levels of the area.
As it can be seen, over half the schools are located in an area where the lead level is recorded to
be above normal levels. With this correlation of lead levels and schools, it brings to attention the
alarming issue of the corrosive mental effects of lead onto the children subject to it.
In another study, lead exposure has been observed in children and their intellectual
capacities. This study focused on the testing of children and their academic potential over a
period of time while observing their lead levels. Even slight lead levels being around five
micrograms resulted in the tested children as having intellectual deficiencies (Bellinger).
Lams article provides plenty of information that relates to the pandemonium of lead threatening
the health of children in the Detroit areas and how to combat it. Tina Lam goes on to write about
different things the Detroit community can do in order to help those who have been poisoned by
lead. Teachers and parents can help by reading books with their kids, working on phonics,
vocabulary, and allowing them to work with computer program that teaches Spanish.

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Researchers in Columbia University are working with lead poisoned rats to help improve their
learning and later apply the research to humans. Childrens Hospitals of Michigan have
developed a computer program called CogMed which can assist with improving memory skills
and overall learning. This Detroit Press article illustrates the hazards that lead poses in Detroit, a
real life application of the Lead in the Body problem.

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Works Cited
Bellinger, David C., Karen M. Stiles, and Herbert L. Needleman. "Low-Level Lead Exposure,
Intelligence and Academic Achievement: A Long-term Follow-up Study." (1992): n. pag.
Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
Lam, Tina, and Kristi Tanner-White. "Nightmare of Lead a Reality for Many Families in
Detroit." Detroit Free Press [Detroit] 2015: n. pag. Print.
Hernandez, M. "Lead in the Body - A Calculus Investigation." Teaching Contemporary
Mathematics Conference. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. 2 Feb.
2015. Lecture.
Tanner-White, Kristi, Martha Thierry, Erik Milliken, Brian Todd, Kofi Myler, and Tina Lam.
"Interactive Map Shows Lead Levels in Detroit Neighborhoods over Time."
www.freep.com. Detroit Free Press, 16 May 2010. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.