Question

lead

• people can be exposed to lead through the ____, __, contaminated soil, lead - based ____, and dust.
• lead poisoning can damage the brain, liver, kidneys, and stomach.
• it can also lead to ____, behavior abnormalities, anemia, hearing loss, and even ____.

Explanation:

To fill in the blanks about lead exposure and its effects, we refer to knowledge in Environmental Sciences (a subfield of Natural Science) about lead exposure pathways and health impacts.

1. For exposure pathways: People are exposed to lead through air (inhalation of lead - containing particles in the air), water (drinking water contaminated with lead, e.g., from old pipes), and lead - based paint (common in older buildings, paint chips can be ingested or the dust inhaled).
2. For health impacts: Lead poisoning can lead to learning disabilities (especially in children as lead affects brain development), and in severe cases, even death (due to the severe damage to vital organs over time or in acute poisoning cases).

Answer:

• People can be exposed to lead through the \(\boldsymbol{\text{air}}\), \(\boldsymbol{\text{water}}\), contaminated soil, lead - based \(\boldsymbol{\text{paint}}\), and dust.
• It can also lead to \(\boldsymbol{\text{learning disabilities}}\), behavior abnormalities, anemia, hearing loss, and even \(\boldsymbol{\text{death}}\).