Scientists have long been aware of the damage mercury and lead can do to overall health. In fact, historians locate the first incidents of lead poisoning during the latter end of the Roman Empire, when Romans experienced poisoning after drinking water from lead pipes. However, only recently did scientists explore the relationship between lead and mercury poisoning and the occurrence of neurological disorders like childhood ADHD. While adults are able to withstand the effects of these heavy metals, it turns out that even a low-level exposure is enough to do damage to children. Lead and mercury have been given the label "neurotoxins," because they have a negative impact on brain development, synapse function, and brain performance in babies and very young children. A growing number of studies now confirm that there is no such thing as "safe" levels of neurotoxins in a child's body, because of the damage they cause to the nervous system.

There are many ways a child can be exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. Here are some of the most common ones:

Paint containing lead. Although manufacturers are no longer allowed to incorporate lead in paint, the walls of old apartment buildings and houses may still be covered with lead paint. Doctors note that many children with lead poisoning live in old buildings and houses. Contaminated deep-sea fish. Many corporations use the ocean as an illegal dump site for their toxic waste, and there is a high chance that deep-sea fish like salmon and tuna have been contaminated with mercury. Dental amalgam fillings. Amalgam fillings in the past contained 40% mercury, cadmium, nickel, and copper. While dentists no longer use amalgam fillings, a number of mothers have had amalgam fillings that leaked during pregnancy, triggering ADHD in their children. Pesticides or bug sprays. Pesticides contain hundreds of toxic chemical combinations that can affect the production of neurotransmitters in developing nervous systems. Common household chemicals like acetone, nail polish, and some cleaning agents.

Despite the government's efforts to test for the safety of the chemicals in our products, there haven't been enough studies done on the neurologic effects of these components. An Environmental Health professor from Harvard University published a paper that details how industrial chemicals harm adults and developing brains. According to the paper, lead and mercury may be responsible for the "silent pandemic" of neurological problems that set in during childhood. The paper also argues that if small amounts of neurotoxins can damage an adult nervous system, they could do a lot worse to the developing brains of small children.

Since our environment is chock-full of neurotoxins and other harmful chemical compounds, a detoxification program is an essential component of any comprehensive treatment plan for ADHD. Ask your health care practitioner to perform a test to detect for lead, mercury, and other neurotoxins in your child's bloodstream. If any are detected, you will need to identify the source of contamination and remove it (e.g., move to a new apartment if there is lead in the paint of your old building) for the detoxification program to work.