Evidence presented at the 45th meeting of the Society of Toxicology suggests that this may be true. Glass, TA, Bandeen-Roche, McAtee, M and Schwartz, BS of Johns Hopkins suggested that environmental stress increased the cognitive damage caused by lead poisoning. This is the first study of its kind and has major implications in human health.
Environmental toxins like heavy metals and solvents have long been know to cause neurological dysfunction in humans, especially children, but the effect of stress has not been tested on environmentally poisoned individuals until now. The researchers found that higher levels of stress exacerbated the effects of lead exposure in children in Baltimore. These findings give rise to interesting treatment options to better aid those environmentally challenged. Not only do they need to detoxify but they may need counseling as well as ways to lower their stress.
More on this subject in the coming days.