The parents are very worried about little Mishu. He studied in the fifth grade of an English medium school in the capital. Mishu's memory is weak. Complaints often come from schools about his studies. Apart from that, parents are noticing several behavioral problems in him. They also think that his hearing power has decreased a lot. Mishu's health has been very bad for few days. He is vomiting, blood is passing with stool and irregular urination and lack of appetite. The worried parents took Mishu to the doctor. After conducting various tests, the doctor gave the alarming information. Little Mishu is suffering from kidney disease. Excess lead has been found in Mishu's body, which has seriously affected his kidneys.
Lead pollution in Bangladesh has taken a terrible shape. Doctors say that the effects of lead-related diseases are 20 times more than bronchial asthma and 120 times more than cancer. Lead poisoning disrupts the normal growth and development of children. About 70 percent of intellectual disability is caused by lead. About 200,000 people die prematurely due to heart disease in Bangladesh every year due to lead pollution. Due to this, the risk of intellectual disability in children is also increasing. Apart from this, the excessive presence of lead in the body has serious effects on the kidneys and heart of children. It causes digestive problem, high blood pressure, constipation, weight loss, seizures, etc. Pregnant mothers are at high risk of birth defects due to excessive lead exposure.
Former Director General of the Department of Health Professor Dr. Shah Monir Hossain told the Khaborer Kagoj, "Lead is a very harmful substance. If lead somehow enters the human body through environmental pollution or any food, it damages various organs. It is very harmful especially for liver, kidney and nerves. In the case of children, it brings more terrible danger."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified lead as one of the most hazardous chemicals for public health. A group of researchers from the World Bank conducted the research titled 'Global Health Burden and Cost of Lead Exposure in Children and Adults: A Health Impact and Economic Modeling Analysis' published in September last year. According to this research report, 1 lakh 38 thousand 54 people die of heart disease in Bangladesh every year due to lead pollution.The report entitled 'The Toxic Truth: Children's Exposure to Lead Pollution Undermines a Generation of Potential', published by UNICEF and Pure Earth in 2020, stated that Bangladesh ranks fourth in the world in terms of the number of children affected by lead pollution. An estimated 3.55 million children in Bangladesh have blood lead levels greater than 5 micrograms/deciliter. According to the report, one in three children worldwide, or about 800 million, have blood lead levels of 5 micrograms per deciliter or more. This means that it is important to take action now to save these children, and almost half of these children are from South Asia.
Experts cite the illegal recycling of lead batteries as the main cause of lead exposure in Bangladesh. The demand for battery-powered vehicles in the country has led to the expansion of the lead-included battery recycling industry. Illegal recycling of these batteries in open air and near residential areas poses serious health risks to both children and adults. There are about a thousand recycling factories in Bangladesh, both big and small. Even when such factories are declared abandoned due to various reasons, lead pollution can occur from there for a long time. Apart from this, high levels of lead have been found in spices in the country. Lead chromate used in weight gain and coloring contributes to elevated blood lead levels in children and adults alike. Electronic waste, toys, electronic devices, aluminum and silver utensils, adulterated food products, medicines, cosmetics and even old steel tap water are the main sources of lead contamination in the human body.
In their study, Pure Earth collected about 200 samples from different areas of Khulna, Rajshahi and Barisal divisions and measured the presence of lead. Of these, 24 percent of the samples were found to contain excess lead. 59 percent of metal food containers, 44 percent of ceramic containers, 9 percent of plastic containers, 54 percent of paints, 17 percent of rice/starch, 13 percent of toys, 7 percent of spices, and 6 percent of cosmetics contain highly harmful lead.
Pediatrician Professor Dr. Shakil Ahmed told the Khaborer Kagoj about lead pollution. "Lead is an unnecessary and toxic substance for the human body. Lead can cause terrible harm, especially to children. The presence of lead in the blood can cause mental disorders, anemia and behavioral problems in children. Apart from this, if lead accumulates in the body, it can be the main cause of kidney and heart disease. Several studies on lead have found excess lead in turmeric powder. In that case my advice to parents is to not use turmeric powder while cooking khichuri for kids. Even for adults, the less turmeric powder is consumed, the better", he said.
Lead contamination has increased to such an extent that even food products are not safe from it. Another study published in the Journal of Fisheries and Agriculture in 2017 found a maximum of 16.386 micrograms of lead in tilapia fish from Muktagacha market in Mymensingh. In a research report published in 2021 in the Journal of Health and Pollution, 30.8 micrograms of lead was found in every kilogram of Pangas fish, 15.33 micrograms in Ruhi fish and 15.86 micrograms in Katla fish collected from Karwan Bazaar in the capital.
Experts say that lead reaches the river in various ways, from adding color to buildings, to prolonging the life of pesticides in plant leaves, dyeing fabrics in dyeing houses and from factories. It then becomes food for river animals including fish, which eventually reaches the human stomach.
According to a joint study by ICDDRB and Stanford University of the United States, in 2012-13, the blood lead levels of pregnant women in 9 districts of Bangladesh were higher than the limit. According to their research published in 2022, more than three and a half million children in the country are carrying harmful lead in their bodies. 100% of children between two and four years of age have been found to have lead in their bodies. The study examines various products on the market. Of the 367 products tested, 96 were found to contain lead.
According to a research report done by Environment and Social Development (ESDO), about 88 percent of the country's population is affected by lead pollution in one way or another. About 77 thousand 220 metric tons of decorative colors are produced in the country every year. About 98 percent of its paints contain lead levels many times higher than acceptable levels. About 88% of the population is getting sick in some way due to lead pollution.
