In recent years, a serious health issue has emerged due to the widespread use of lead – lead poisoning. This problem has resulted in extensive environmental contamination, human exposure, and significant public health problems worldwide.
What is Lead Poisoning?
Lead poisoning is the accumulation of lead in the body over months or even years. The body absorbs lead, causing wide-ranging symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, anaemia, a dark line along the gums, and muscle paralysis or weakness of limbs. This condition is especially worrying for children as their bodies are still developing, making them more susceptible.
Implications of Lead Poisoning
According to the 2020 report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Pure Earth, half of the children in India have high blood lead levels. The study reveals that 275 million children in India record blood lead levels beyond the tolerable limit of 5 µg/dL. A separate 2016 analysis by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) indicates that lead toxicity in India contributes to 4.6 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years and causes 165,000 deaths annually.
Beyond this, once lead enters the bloodstream, it goes directly to the brain. It can also transfer to the fetus during pregnancy, causing low birth weight and slow growth. Lead poisoning can cause anemia and various illnesses, affecting neurological, skeletal, and neuromuscular systems.
Challenges of Dealing with Lead Poisoning
Undeniably, coping with lead poisoning presents numerous challenges. For one, in India, lead does not get as much attention as other potential public health concerns. Moreover, the country lacks systems to properly screen for possible exposure.
Another challenge lies in the recycling laws. Many developing and under-developing countries, including India, have lax laws over informal recycling sectors. Consequently, large quantities of (lead)-acid batteries are recycled without scientific techniques, leading to further contamination. Recently in 2022, the government notified the Battery Waste Management Rules, but the implementation remains questionable.
Finally, high demand for cheap products containing lead presents a significant challenge. Consumers in India may not be willing or able to pay more for lead-free alternatives.
Steps Towards Resolution
To combat this issue, regular screening and testing of lead sources will help determine region-wise prevalence and aid in designing interventions. These could include regulations and enforcement, changes in industry practices, training of government officials to assess lead contamination, public education changes, and consumer behavior modification.
Moreover, discouraging informal operations and regulating the sector will help manage the risk of exposure from recycling used lead-acid batteries. Additionally, India must enhance its capacity for testing, currently done for blood lead levels, and create facilities for blood lead level screenings at every district hospital.
Incorporating lead poisoning into the narrative of India’s health status is a must. It necessitates devising strategies on a state level, utilizing regional bureaucracy, local press, and vernacular language to make tangible impacts.
Previous Year Questions on Lead Poisoning
In the 2012 UPSC Civil Services Examination, a question was asked related to sources of lead poisoning after the addition of lead to petrol was banned. The options provided were smelting units, pens and pencils, paints, and hair oils, and cosmetics. The correct answer was smelting units and paints. This shows that understanding the sources and impact of lead poisoning is important not just for public health, but also for examinations such as the UPSC.
