news-date">21.12.2020
A report by Pure Earth and UNICEF comes to the conclusion that 800 million children have an excessively high level of lead in their blood, equivalent to every third child in the world. Lead is neurotoxic and can cause permanent brain damage.
“The first few years of a child’s life are characterized by rapid growth and brain development. This makes children particularly susceptible to harmful substances in the environment,” explained Dr. Came Sripada from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) who contributed to the report.
Sripada works with international organizations to study social inequalities, especially among children. “Exposure to lead during pregnancy and early childhood can result in a child never reaching their potential,” she said.
Lead is a powerful neurotoxin. As little as five micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood can cause damage. Acute lead poisoning occurs with a wide variety of symptoms, from stomach pain to brain damage, coma and death.
Lead poisoning can also develop slowly and insidiously as lead can accumulate in the body over a long period of time. The most common symptom is lethargy due to anemia. High levels of lead can attack the blood and bone marrow, the nervous system and the kidneys. Lead poisoning can also lead to decreased intelligence and behavior problems that can last a lifetime.
“Lead is a health threat to children in every single country in the world. However, children in low- and middle-income countries are particularly at risk, especially in South Asia and children in marginalized groups in general. There are large social differences in lead exposure,” so Sripada.
Much of the lead comes from lead-acid batteries that are not responsibly recycled. In low- and middle-income countries, the number of motor vehicles has tripled in the last 20 years, which in turn has led to a sharp increase in lead-acid batteries. About half of batteries are improperly disposed of or recycled.
Plumbing, industry, paint, and a range of household products such as canned foods, contaminated spices, makeup and toys can also contribute to lead pollution in the environment. Remnants of the lead that was previously used in gasoline can still be found in the ground to this day.
Indirectly, countries can suffer enormous income losses when children are exposed to lead. As adults, they are often unable to make optimal contributions to the economy.
“This is a report of global importance,” said NTNU Professor Terje Andreas Eikemo, who heads CHAIN (Center for Global Health Inequalities Research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology).
Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the US believe that the situation requires international action, such as more information and strengthening the health system in several countries.
Lead pollution is a global problem
“This report suggests that lead pollution is a major global environmental and health problem, particularly damaging to children’s health and development,” commented Heidi Aase, who leads the NeuroTox study at the Norwegian Public Health Institute.
The NeuroTox study examines the relationships between environmental toxins in the womb, including lead, and various effects on brain development. ADHD, autism and cognitive functions are considered in a large sample of Norwegian children. Environmental toxins found in the mother’s body during pregnancy can affect the baby’s development.
“The UNICEF report and other studies show that poverty is linked to a higher risk of exposure to lead and an increased risk of its harmful effects on health. We will investigate whether the same is true for pregnant women and children in Norway applies “, says Aase.
The research results of NeuroTox and CHAIN can also be used internationally in different ways to prevent social inequalities in relation to health, including the harmful effects of environmental toxins.
The blood lead content of children from low and middle income countries is much higher than that of Norwegian children in the UNICEF report. However, the report has calculated that many Norwegian children may have lead levels above what is known to have deleterious effects on brain development.
“This is worrying,” said NeuroTox researcher Gro Dehli Villanger. Studies show that damage to the brain and nervous system can occur with lead levels far lower than indicated in the report. “To date, no limit values have been set that are considered safe and therefore the number of children affected could be much higher in Norway as well as in other countries,” said Villanger.
Swell: ScienceDaily, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, UNICEF
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