Lead is a known neurotoxicant. Now a new study finds that even low-level lead exposure is linked to depression and panic disorders.
The joint Canada-U.S. study was led by Quebecer Maryse Bouchard. She is a research fellow at the Department of Environmental Health, Harvard.
Researchers analyzed data collected between 1999 and 2004 from 1,987 adults aged 20-39 years old.
134 participants were diagnosed with depression, 44 with a panic disorder and 47 with general anxiety disorder. Their blood lead concentration was 1.61 micrograms per decilitre of blood.
On her Harvard university web page, Maryse Bouchard says, "We report a 2.3 fold increase in the risk of major depression for people in the highest quintile of blood lead compared to those in the lowest quintile. For panic disorder, the risk for the corresponding increase in blood lead is a 5-fold increase."
628 smokers were removed from the study because cigarettes increase the amount of lead exposure.
The study’s conclusion reads as follows: "In these young adults with low levels of lead exposure, higher blood lead levels were associated with increased odds of major depression and panic disorders. Exposure to lead at levels generally considered safe could result in adverse mental health outcomes."