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Toxicology NRC 40-8684

Activity Nº4 (Score 50% Second Term)

Miembros del equipo:

Karen Vega Sarmiento ID554807

Maria Andrea jaimes Bustos ID 427141

Erika Andrea Ayala acero ID 688744

Norida Ardila Galvis ID 464053

Docente: María Fernanda Moreno Vargas

Administración en Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo

Corporación Universitaria Minuto de DIOS
Bucaramanga 2022
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Case Study: Heavy metal poisoning

A teenager working in the family pottery

We present the case of a 16-year-old girl, diagnosed with heavy metal poisoning after
occupational exposure since the girl was actively involved in the family's pottery business.

History revealed that the girl participated in the process of pottery, her father was also
diagnosed with poisoning 2 years before. The patient's personal history underlined that
approximately 1 year ago she presented with severe abdominal pain, being diagnosed with
acute appendicitis and she underwent appendectomy, but the pain persisted, thus due to
family history of poisoning, the suspicion of saturnine colic rose increase. The main
symptoms were severe abdominal pain, vomiting, anemia, arterial hypertension, and mild
mental impairment. The clinical evolution was favorable under symptomatic treatment and
chelation therapy
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1. (1 Point) According to the information presented, what was the heavy metal that
caused the poisoning? (ANSWER WITH NOT MORE THAN ONE WORD).

Answer: lead

2. (1 Point) From the toxicodynamic process, how could you explain the anemia?
(ANSWER IN NOT MORE THAN FIVE LINES).

Lead enters the body through inhalation, the digestive tract and by contact with the skin, it
travels through the bloodstream competing with calcium, mainly affecting the bones, the
nervous system and the blood, lead weakens the production of hemoglobin in blood, due to
inhibition of iron synthesis causing anemia, also by inhibition of other enzymes.

3. (1 Point) From the molecular level, how could you justify chelation therapy in this
poisoning? (ANSWER IN NOT MORE THAN FIVE LINES).

Non-toxic and water-soluble substances that are eliminated in the urine, indicates that soft
metal cations such as hg2 form stable complexes with sulfide donor molecules. While
alkaline and alkaline earth hard metal cations have more affinity for COO-EDTA groups.

4. (1 Point) Mention two strategies to prevent this poisoning from happening in the
future (ANSWER IN NOT MORE THAN FIVE LINES).

one can be epidemiological control and surveillance, biosafety management at the

time of exposure to the generating source in a preventive manner.
the other is to identify and train work personnel in relation to the handling and risks
that they may have from exposure to lead.
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For the following question, please consider this additional information: when chronic
poisoning, patients can also exhibit a blue line at the dental margin of the gums.

5. 1. 5. (1 Point) What is this clinical manifestation called, and why is it produced?

(ANSWER IN NOT MORE THAN THREE LINES).

Burton's border or sign: It is the appearance of a blue line on the contour of the teeth
generated by the sulfur that expels the bacteria by joining the lead due to the high levels in
the body. This indicates chronic lead poisoning.
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Bibliografía

https://docslib.org/doc/564709/history-of-toxicology-525-history-of-toxicology

https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/wiley/lead-poisoning-case-studies-wwEE4eG0vI

https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2009.524

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27661040/