Dhaka: Public health experts have called for urgent measures to protect children from lead pollution, describing it as a deadly toxic heavy metal that silently harms the health of millions, particularly affecting children and pregnant women. This call to action was highlighted during a discussion titled ‘Prevention of Lead Pollution in Bangladesh: Progress and Challenges,’ organized by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) in the capital today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers lead levels in children’s blood above 35 micrograms per liter as alarming. Additionally, UNICEF reports that Bangladesh ranks as the fourth most affected country globally by lead pollution, with approximately 36 million children having high levels of lead in their blood.
ICDDR,B Senior Director Dr. Sarah Salway emphasized that lead pollution is a significant public health problem in Bangladesh, often going unnoticed. Children residing near polluting industries suffer the most. A study conducted between 2009 and 2012 in Dhaka’s slums revealed that 87 percent of children under two years had lead levels above 50 micrograms per liter in their blood.
During the discussion, Professor Steve Luby from Stanford University and former director of ICDDR,B noted that lead severely impairs children’s brain development and diminishes their intellectual capabilities.
Project Coordinator of ICDDR,B Dr. Md Mahbubur Rahman identified lead and battery-related industries, lead-containing paints, cosmetics, and cooking utensils as the main sources of lead pollution. However, he noted positive progress in reducing lead adulteration in turmeric used for cooking, with lead presence dropping from 47 percent in 2019 to almost zero in 2021.
ICDDR,B Assistant Scientist Dr. Jasmine Sultana cited data from a study conducted between 2022 and 2024, revealing that lead was found in the blood of every 500 children aged two to four in Dhaka, with 98 percent having lead levels above the alarming threshold.
ICDDR,B Executive Director Dr. Tahmid Ahmed stressed that lead poisoning is silently eroding the future potential of children, underscoring the urgent need to eliminate sources of lead emissions to ensure children can grow up healthy and intelligent.
The discussants concluded that removing lead-acid battery manufacturing or recycling factories and establishments where lead is melted or burned could protect children from lead pollution. Researchers from ICDDR,B, Stanford University, and various media representatives participated in the discussion.