•Currently, 30 per cent of children are poisoned by lead.
•The informal and substandard recycling of lead-acid batteries highly contributes to lead poisoning in children
The growing vehicle ownership is increasing lead poisoning in children, a United Nations agency has said.
In a report by the United Nations children’s Fund and Pure Earth, the lack of vehicle battery recycling regulation and infrastructure has also resulted in up to 50 per cent of lead-acid batteries being unsafely recycled in the informal economy.
Dubbed Children’s exposure to lead pollution undermines a generation of potential, the report notes the informal and substandard recycling of lead-acid batteries highly contributes to lead poisoning in children.
This is especially for those living in low and middle-income countries like Kenya, which have experienced a three-fold increase in the number of vehicles since 2000.
“Workers in dangerous and often illegal recycling operations break open battery cases, spill acid and lead dust in the soil and smelt the recovered lead in crude, open-air furnaces that emit toxic fumes poisoning the surrounding community,” Unicef says.
Currently, 30 per cent of children are poisoned by lead.
“Around one in three children, up to 800 million globally have blood lead levels at or above five micrograms per deciliter, the level at which requires action,” Unicef says.
Other sources of childhood lead exposure include lead in water from the use of leaded pipes, lead from active industry such as mining and battery recycling, some spices and cosmetics.
“Parents whose occupations involve working with lead often bring contaminated dust home on their clothes, hair, hands and shoes thus inadvertently exposing their children to the toxic element,” the report adds.
For babies and children under the age five, lead damages their brains before they have had the opportunity to fully develop, causing them lifelong neurological, cognitive and physical impairment.
In the findings, childhood lead exposure is linked to mental health, behavioral problems and to increased crime and violence.
“Older children suffer severe consequences including increased risk of kidney damage and cardiovascular diseases in later life,” the report says.
According to Unicef executive director Henrietta Fore, with few early symptoms lead silently wreaks havoc on children’s health and development with possibly fatal consequences.
“Knowing how widespread lead pollution is and understanding the destruction it causes to individual lives and communities must inspire urgent action to protect children once and for all,” Fore says.
Richard Fuller, Pure Earth president says the masses ought to be educated on the dangers of lead and empowered to protect themselves and their children.
“The return on the investment is enormous; improved health, increased productivity, higher IQs, less violence and brighter futures for millions of children across the planet,” Fuller says.