You should go to your doctor. Get a lead test. I imagine they have one. I have been tested for mercury (yup i was positive) so lead im sure you could get. Get ride of your flock?...No i wouldnt i would wait a whole laying year before eating them though. But thats the same time as buying chicks and getting them to growing age, your choice.How Does Lead Effect the Nervous System?
Most of the dysfunctions produced by the absorption of lead are due to lead's ability to mimic and inhibit the actions of calcium. (2) In humans the lead is directly absorbed, distributed, and excreted. Once in the bloodstream lead is distributed to three main compartments: blood, soft tissue (kidney, bone marrow, liver, and brain), and mineralized tissue (bones and teeth). (3) Lead effects children and adults in different ways. Low lead levels in children can cause the following side effects:
Nervous system and kidney damage.
Learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence.
Speech, language, and behavior problems.
Poor muscle coordination.
Decreased muscle and bone growth.
Hearing damage.
Seizures, unconsciousness, and death. (4)
In adults high levels of lead in their systems can cause the following:
Increased chance of illness during pregnancy.
Harm to a fetus, including brain damage or death.
Fertility problems (in men and women).
High blood pressure.
Digestive problems.
Nerve disorders.
Memory and concentration problems.
Muscle and joint pain. (4)
Once lead enters the body it interferes with normal cell function and physiological processes. Some of the physiological effects of lead include harm done to the peripheral and central nervous system (PNS, CNS), blood cells, metabolism of vitamin D and calcium, and reproductive toxicity. The nervous system seems to be the most sensitive to lead poisoning. (3)
Neurons are the functional unit of the nervous system and are specialized for the transmission of signals from one location to the next. The dendrites of the neuron receive the input signal and relay it to the rest of the neuron. The axon of the neuron relays this input signal in the direction of its tips. The tips of the axon have specialized endings known as synaptic terminals that relay the signal to other cells by using a chemical messengers, neurotransmitters. The neuron will release the neurotransmitter molecules, located in synaptic vesicles, into the synapse only when an action potential arrives and depolarizes the surface of the synaptic terminal that before the cleft. Calcium ions play an important role in the nervous system; they help convert the electrical pulse into a chemical signal. The depolarization of the presynaptic membrane causes the calcium ions to travel through voltage gated channels into the neuron. The sudden increase in the concentration of calcium triggers the synaptic vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic membrane, spilling the neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft by means of exocytosis. The neurotransmitters then go on to diffuse through to the postsynaptic cleft, which is the plasma cell body (or dendrite) on the other side of the synapse. (5)
Cells absorb lead through the same channels they absorb calcium from. The drugs that regulate the intake of calcium also increase the amount of lead uptake. High levels of lead decrease transport of calcium and vice versa, therefore these two metals function as competitive inhibitors. Lead can enter through the same ion channels as calcium and regulate the activity of those channels to uptake more lead into the cell. (2)
LOOK AT THIS FIRST SENTENCE.
.Lead, even at low concentrations, has the ability to increase the basal release of the neurotransmitters from the presynaptic nerve endings This can occur both in the PNS and CNS. Micromolar concentrations of lead can cause the spontaneous release of dopamine, acetylcholine (ACh), and gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA). (2) Control movement and emotional response are some of the brain processes that are affected by dopamine. (6) An acetylcholine receptor has the responsibility for transducting nerve impulses to muscular contraction. (7) GABA is an amino acid classified as a neurotransmitter. GABA is thought to play a role in the secretion of growth hormones according to some studies. (8) Lead can also block the release of neurotransmitters when the action potential is taking place. This double effect of lead can have serious consequences on a developing nervous system. It can result in a decrease of pruning, what shapes the early brain, of an infant. The early brain, which has more synapses than an adult brain, is patterned according to the stimuli received during development. If there is an increase in neural activity, brought about by lead, the development process can be inhibited and have permanent effects on synaptic anatomy and function of the brain. It is believed that this is one of the causes of learning and behavioral problems that occur in children. (2)
