WHO urges action on lead poisoning dangers

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to take stronger action against lead poisoning, which affects hundreds of millions of children globally. Lead is one of the 10 chemicals of major public health concern identified by the WHO, alongside arsenic, asbestos, mercury, and hazardous pesticides. This toxic metal is present in various products like paint, cookware, cosmetics, and even spices, posing a widespread yet preventable threat to health.

According to Bruce Gordon, head of the WHO's environment department, at least 815 million children have blood lead levels of 5 micrograms per deciliter, which is a level that should trigger a review of exposure sources and action to reduce or eliminate it. An alarming 1 in 3 children worldwide exceed the WHO's action level for lead exposure. The agency stresses that there is no safe level of lead exposure; even minimal amounts can cause irreversible damage to developing brains and nervous systems, particularly in children.

Lead exposure can occur through various sources, including paint, cookware, cosmetics, spices, informal recycling, and industrial contamination. Once inside the body, lead spreads to vital organs like the kidneys, brain, and liver, as well as bones. In 2021, the WHO recommended identifying and eliminating contamination sources for individuals with a blood lead level of at least 5 micrograms per deciliter, noting that even 3.5 micrograms can lead to reduced intelligence, behavioral disorders, and learning difficulties in children.

Countries have acknowledged lead exposure as a pressing public health issue, prompting the WHO to develop a global action plan, which will be presented at the next annual assembly of member states in May. However, progress is slow, as fewer than half of countries have legally binding controls on lead in paint, according to the WHO's latest assessment.

To effectively combat lead poisoning, countries must shift from awareness to policy-making and enforcement, removing lead from products and environments before it reaches children's bodies, emphasized Gordon.