Sign In
Learn bits
Health & Medicine
Mahesh

27/03/22 14:08 PM IST

lead poisoning

In News 
  • Recently, high levels of lead were found in the blood of thousands of children living around the Kabwe mine in Zambia.
Effects of lead
  • Lead is a potent neurotoxin that causes irreparable harm to children’s brains
  • It is particularly destructive to babies and children under the age of 5 as it damages their brain before they have had the opportunity to fully develop, causing them lifelong neurological, cognitive and physical impairment
  • Childhood lead exposure has also been linked to mental health and behavioural problems and an increase in crime and violence
  • Older children suffer severe consequences, including increased risk of kidney damage and cardiovascular diseases in later life.
Causes of Lead Poisoning

  • Informal and substandard recycling of lead-acid batteries.
  • Increase in vehicle ownership, combined with the lack of vehicle battery recycling regulation and infrastructure.
  • Workers in dangerous and often illegal recycling operations break open battery cases, spill acid and lead dust in the soil.
  • They also smelt the recovered lead in crude, open-air furnaces that emit toxic fumes poisoning the surrounding community
About Lead 
  • Lead in the body is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones, where it accumulates over time.
  • Lead in bone is released into blood during pregnancy and becomes a source of exposure to the developing foetus.
  • WHO has identified lead as 1 of 10 chemicals of major public health concern.
  • WHO has joined with  the United Nations Environment Programme to form the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint.

      More Related Current Affairs View All

      08 Sep

      Rajasthan’s coaching centre Bill

      'The Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025, is a significant piece of legislation passed by the Rajasthan Assembly to regulate and oversee the state's burg

      Read More

      28 Aug

      IADT-1

      'Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out its first Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-1), a crucial milestone in the preparation for the countr

      Read More

      28 Aug

      H-1B visa changes

      'H-1B visa changes 2025: United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the popular H-1B visa program a “scam”, saying that American businesses should be focuse

      Read More

      India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

      Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps