It was highlighted in Lancet Public Health study titled ‘Removing lead from the global economy’.
About Lead (Pb)
- Soft metal with properties like low melting point, corrosion-resistant, poor conductor of heat; do not react with water at all, highly malleable, dense, and ductile.
- Usually found in ore with zinc, silver and copper.
- Used in production of batteries (automobiles and invertors), ammunition, metal products (pipes), etc.
- Naturally occurring toxic metal found in Earth’s crust. Smelting units and Paints are sources of lead poisoning.
Impact of Lead Pollution
- On Human growth: Lead reduces intelligence quotient (IQ) points and increases risk of heart disease, kidney failure, and premature death.
- Its exposure leads to 5·5 million premature adult deaths from CVD and 765 million lost IQ points among children.
- Toxic neurodevelopmental effects begin in womb from foetal exposure to lead in maternal plasma.
- Toxic to plants: Increase in lead concentration in soil from 0 ppm (parts per million) to 1000 ppm reduced germination rate of wheat seeds from 98% to 50% and reduced biomass generated by 44%.
- On Birds: They develop anaemia, and brain damage and can have difficulty flying, landing, and walking, and face increased mortality.
Initiatives to control Lead Poisoning
Recommendations for Lead elimination
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