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Study reveals one in three children in the world have dangerous levels of lead in their blood

A new study by UNICEF and Pure Earth shows that one in three children around the world have high levels of lead in their bloodstream. 

 

Study reveals one in three children in the world have dangerous levels of lead in their blood

 

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | JULY 30th 2020

 

New research has led to reveal that one in three of all children in the world, primarily those in developing countries, are suffering from high levels of lead in their blood. This is a serious issue that could lead to long-term health complications.

This research was performed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and was then published by Unicef on Thursday. It was done to underline the dangers that come with lead and lead poisoning, once commonly used in paint and petrol products.

The main cause of the high levels of lead in the blood of so many children in developing countries is thought to be the inappropriate handling of disposed lead products, such as car batteries. Car batteries use lead and acid to produce the electrical charge that powers vehicles, making up at least 85% of the globally used lead. There is little risk to be found of them when disposed of in a safe manner.

When it is incorrectly disposed of, the lead will tend to leak, poisoning the soil, as well as anybody who comes in contact with the liquid. As well as this, lead is still often used in pipes, paint, and found in contaminated soils in developing countries, making them the most at risk.

“The UK has strict regulations in place for lead in food, water, cosmetics, toys, spices and industry,” said Ovnair Sepai, principal toxicologist at Public Health England. “Lead exposure in children has dropped dramatically in the UK since it was banned in paint and petrol, but risks remain, which may disproportionately affect children in deprived areas.”

The report shows that the numbers of those under 19 that suffer from high levels of lead in their blood, are around 800 million. The amount qualifying as ‘high’ being at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre (5μg/dl). Although, the World Health Organization (WHO) have specified that there is no level of lead in one’s blood that can’t be considered harmful.

“This is an absolutely shocking figure,” said Nicholas Rees, author of the report and policy specialist at Unicef. “We have known for so long about the toxic [nature of lead], but we have not known how widespread it is, and how many children are affected.”

High exposures of lead are known to be deadly, and even in lower doses it acts as a potent neurotoxin, causing symptoms that range from pains, vomiting, seizures to developmental delay in younger people, as well as mental difficulties and the development of mood disorders. According to the researchers, the levels of lead found in their study may cause increased levels of violence, cardiovascular diseases, and may stunt cognitive ability.

It's also been explained that there is a much higher risk to children when it comes to lead poisoning, causing damage to their still developing brains and nervous systems, with no immediate or obvious symptoms of this.

People nowadays aren’t as aware of the dangers that revolve around lead poisoning due to decades having passed since petitions to remove it from common use and households were in effect, said Richard Fuller of Pure Earth, an NGO that collaborated with Unicef on the report. “We did a terrific job of taking lead out of gasoline [petrol], but the use of lead has plateaued after falling in the 1970s and 80s.”

Up until 2012, the United States had deemed that only levels of above 10μg/dl were a severe cause for concern. Scientists have learned much more about lead and its dangers over the years, however, and the amount has since been changed to 5μg/dl.

As more evidence was made available, we came to better understand lead poisoning and how it can affect a person once it’s made contact with the blood, finding that 5μg/dl could remove about 3-5 points from a child’s IQ score. 900,000 deaths a year are recorded to be related to lead poisoning, and the number may still increase if people in developing countries remain uninformed and exposed to its hazards.

 

By Patryk Krych | © The World Daily 2020

 

 

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UnicefPollutionEnvironmentEnvironmental hazards