Knowledge Sharing of Medical Practices—Reducing the Negative Socio-Economic Effects of Lead Exposure due to Unhealthy Consumption Habits

Abstract

The emergence of knowledge economy has created the necessary conditions for an interdisciplinary approach of medical practices. This paper explores, in an interdisciplinary manner, the case of lead exposure in the Romanian context. We consider it crucial to be aware of the socio-economic impact of lead exposure in Romania and prevent unhealthy consumption habits that generate economic and social costs. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the social, economic, and medical effects of lead poisoning, and, on this basis, to identify prevention recommendations. The research was conducted while using a descriptive survey based on qualitative and quantitative methods, by analyzing a group of 115 participants that were admitted in the Toxicology Department of the Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest with the diagnosis of lead exposure/intoxication. The study followed an Observational Retrospective Protocol that was based on the investigations of the participants registered in the Toxicology Department with signs and symptoms suggestive of lead exposure/intoxication. The data was statistically processed by while using Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS Statistics 22. Based on our research results, we facilitated the knowledge sharing process of medical practices and formulated a series of recommendations in an interdisciplinary manner, in order to diminish the negative socio-economic effects of unhealthy consumption habits.Sustainability 2020, 12, 1553 2 of 18 reactive oxygen species (superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals) or by diminishing the antioxidant defense capacity (by blocking antioxidant enzymes through the depletion of endogenous antioxidants) [8,9]. Lead-induced oxidative stress generates lipid peroxidation with severe effects on cell membranes, intracellular components (mitochondria), and genetic material, generating genomic instability [3,10].This paper evaluates the social and economic effects of lead exposure on population. There are several facets of this medical phenomenon. First of all, we can discuss a geographic particularity of Romania that modulates the pathophysiology of this type of poisoning [11]. Some traditional local habits, such as the distillation of alcohol in households in artisanal equipment, that may contain lead elements, represent a particular feature of the geographic area of Romania. This phenomenon has also been identified in some other areas of Eastern Europe, based on the same ancestral customs, but on a much smaller scale when compared to the situation in Romania [12,13]. The lack of clear legislation that is meant to control the production of distilled artisanal alcohol is an element that aggravates the lead exposure situation [13]. The misusage of these procedures is still widely encountered despite existent regulatory indications on the type and composition of the distillation apparatus or on the composition of the final product. Another element to be analyzed is the causes that determine this social behavior. Beyond the motivation of an ancient custom, the...