RESEARCH

National Policy, Standards, Legislation & Enforcement

NEEDED NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO PREVENT LEAD POISONING - A CHALLENGE FOR THE DECADE

Dr. N.K. Ganguly

Introduction

Urbanizaiton, rapid industrialization, increased vehicular traffic and consequent increase in the use of petroleum fuels in India are constantly emitting lead along with other pollutants to the environment. Automobile exhaust is the main source of lead pollutants in the country, which affects vulnerable groups like children, old people, pregnant women and the community at large. Still today, most of the urban cities use leaded gasoline except New Delhi. Apart from this, lead-based paints, batteries and scraps, lead smelters, lead contaminated food etc. significantly contribute lead to the environment. Lead effects almost all major organs of the body.

Many reviews and references are available in literature about the health effects of exposure to inorganic and organic lead. Effects of lead on human health are identified by Pandya et.al. and Parikh. They have shown that in some of the industries and many urban cities of the country, air lead levels of exposed population were higher than the accepted permissible levels prescribed under the Factories Act and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Though lead poisoning is one of the occupational diseases in India since 1924, no reliable statistics are available on the frequency of occupational lead toxicity and poisoning. Most children with lead poisoning are never identified. Hence, lead-screening is today’s health requirement. I understand that, in this direction, The George Foundation (TGF), Bangalore carried out a mass screening programme in seven major Indian cities. The results of this study will be presented in this conference. Recent study carried out at the National Institute of Occupational health (NIOH), Ahmedabad, in 633 school children studying in high and medium traffic density areas of Ahmedabad city, showed that about 61.6% children are having lead levels higher than the 10 pg/dl which is defined as exposure risk levels by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Results of above studies definitely revealed a relatively high exposure to lead from the ambient environment event to children. Therefore, it is high time that we should make national commitment to prevent lead poisoning - A challenge for the next decade.

We must understand the benefits of preventing lead exposure. It reduces the treatment costs, increases productivity in the industry and also reduces infant mortality. These are reasons for a nationwide program.

The commitment and action made by CDC, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) etc. through the federal Government in US in the last three decades had changed the pattern and trend of lead poisoning in USA. One of the major actions was the removal of lead from gasoline in a stepwise manner. This action has been illustrated by the tremendous reduction in children’s blood levels that followed removal of lead from gasoline. I understand that the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India has introduced a policy to remove lead completely from gasoline in a phased manner. To my mind, children who are a very sensitive and vulnerable group of our population are affected most due to lead poisoning. We should include comprehensive national child centered agenda. This agenda must recognize children’s vulnerability to environmental toxicants, specifically lead.

First question which comes to my mind is, whether the data generated until now in the country on lead poisoning/toxicity are sufficient for weighing potential risk, whether these data are precise from quality assurance point of view. Policymakers need the results of extensive research and testing to understand risks for children of different population groups. The Governments needs to make better use of available information to ensure health and safety policies to protect children and other groups from lead poisoning. There is a clear need for the data that is essential for making effective policy decisions. However, the following suggested recommendations could be useful to policy makers and government for controlling, preventing and eventually eradicating lead poisoning from the country.

Recommendations

    • National comprehensive centered agenda must be prepared for preventing and subsequently eradicating lead poisoning.
    • Task force action to remove lead completely from gasoline. No vehicle should run on the road with gasoline containing lead.
    • Immediate National lead screening programme should be introduced through institutions like NIOH, Ahmedabad, ITRC, Lucknow, St.Johns Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore, PGI, Chandigarh, NIN, Hyderabad etc. through ICMR, New Delhi as nodal agency.
    • Campaign to educate the public health professionals, and policy makers for this disease. Awareness programme should be introduced for prevention and treatment of lead poisoning.
    • Checks on avoidable sources of lead such as traditional medicine, cosmetics, lead painting, contaminants of food and beverages should be made.

Conclusion

Protecting children from environmental hazards is the US EPA’s highest priority. In a similar way, we should also think on similar lines and prepare a new child centered prevention oriented agenda for research, risk assessment, education and formulation of environmental health policy in our country. Adoption of such an agenda is urgently needed if preventable childhood diseases like lead poisoning of environmental origin are to be controlled, prevented and eventually eradicated. Such agenda should be taken up at the highest government level. Then only it will be possible that within a decade lead poisoning in India in children and other working population could be prevented.

References

  1. Pandya C.B., Patel T.S., Parikh D.J., Chatterjee S.K, and Ramanathan N.L, Environmental lead exposure as a health problem in India (An overview) J.Environ. Bio 4 (3), 127-148 (1983).
  2. Parikh D.J.Human exposure assessment to lead an overview in India. Ind. J. Indust. Med. 36, 63-75 (1990).
  3. Chakrborty M.K. Industrial plumbism and its control. Ind. J. Indust. Med. 19, 1-2 (1968).
  4. Project Lead Free Findings - A study of blood lead levels in approximately 22,000 samples taken in seven major Indian cities. Study conducted by The George Foundation (1997-98).
  5. NIOH Report on Indo-US collaborative programme on The Effects of lead in children and adolescent development and puberty sponsored by US-EPA (First Year) 1-25 (1999).
  6. Centre for Disease Control, Prevailing lead poisoning in young children. A statement by the Centre for Disease Control - October 1991, Atlanta, US Department of Health and Human Services, 1991.
  7. Golding J. Sudden Infant death syndrome and parental smoking - A literature review. Paediat Perin Epidemiol. 11:67-77 (1997).
  8. Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, Update : Blood lead levels - United States, 1991-1994, MMWR 46 (7) : 141 - 146 (1997).
  9. Lynn R. Goldman. Linking research and policy to ensure children’s

environmental health. Environ Health Perspectives, 106, Suppl. 3, June 857-861

(1998).

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