Lead poisoning epidemics explained
Lead poisoning epidemics refer to specific instances of mass lead poisoning. These events often occur without the knowledge of the communities they affect. Common causes of lead poisoning epidemics include mining, lead recycling, and food/water contamination.[1] These events also cause disproportionate childhood fatalities as children are more susceptible to lead poisoning than adults.[2]
Notable poisoning events
This list does not include events wherein fewer than 100 people were affected, individual lead paint poisoning cases, or lead poisoning resulting from the consumption of contaminated food or water, such as the Flint Water Crisis. The cases below are discrete events of mass lead poisonings.
Large-scale lead poisoning eventsName of event | Year | Country | City | - Tested high*
| - deaths
| Source of lead exposure | References | Comments |
---|
Đông Mai | 2015 | Vietnam | Đông Mai | 102 | 0 | Auto-battery recycling | ref[3] | Ongoing |
El Paso/Juarez | 1974 | USA/Mexico | El Paso, Texas | 391 | 0 | Lead smelter | ref[4] | Plant closed |
Fiengxiang | 2009 | China | Shanxi | 615 | 0 | Lead smelter | ref[5] | |
Hunan | 2008 | China | Hunan | 1354 | 0 | Manganese factory | ref[6] | |
Jiyuan | 2009 | China | Jiyuan | 1000 | 0 | Lead smelter | ref[7] | 99.7% of children poisoned |
| 2004 | Peru | La Oroya | 100's | 0 | Lead smelter | ref[8] | Plant closed |
Michoacán | 2009? | Mexico | Michoacán | 311 | 0 | Lead-glazed pottery | ref[9] | Ongoing |
Santo Amaro | 1985 | Brazil | Bahia | 555 | 0 | Lead smelter | ref[10] | |
Thiaroye-sur-Mer | 2008 | Senegal | Thiaroye, Dakar | 150+ | 18 | Auto-battery recycling | ref[11] | Closed |
Torreón | 2000 | Mexico | Torreón | 11181 | 0 | Lead smelter | ref[12] | |
| 2010 | Nigeria | Zamfara | 1000+ | 163–400 | Artisanal mining | ref[13] | Ongoing |
| 2013 | Zambia | Kabwe | 1000+ | 0 | Lead mining and smelter | ref[14] [15] | | |
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: 11 August 2023 . Lead poisoning . World Health Organization.
- Abelsohn . Alan . Sanborn . Margaret . June 2010 . Lead and children: Clinical management for family physicians . Canadian Family Physician . 56 . 6 . 531-535 . PubMed Central.
- Childhood Lead Exposure from Battery Recycling in Vietnam. BioMed Research International. 2015-10-26. 4637436. 26587532. 193715. 2015. 10.1155/2015/193715. en. William E.. Daniell. Lo Van. Tung. Ryan M.. Wallace. Deborah J.. Havens. Catherine J.. Karr. Nguyen Bich. Diep. Gerry A.. Croteau. Nancy J.. Beaudet. Nguyen Duy. Bao. free .
- Investigación epidemiológica sobre niveles de plomo en la población infantil y en el medio ambiente domiciliario de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, en relación con una fundición de El Paso, Texas. Salud Pública de México. 0036-3634. 281–295. 45. 10.1590/S0036-36342003000800015. Blanca Raquel. Ordóñez. Lidia Ruiz. Romero. Refugio. Mora. 2003. free.
- News: Chinese villagers storm factory blamed for lead poisoning of 600 children. The Guardian. 2009-08-17. 2016-02-19. 0261-3077. en-GB. Jonathan. Watts. Zheng. Cui.
- News: 1,300 Chinese children near smelter suffer lead poisoning. The Guardian. 2009-08-20. 2016-02-19. 0261-3077. en-GB. Jonathan. Watts. Asia environment. correspondent.
- News: China to move residents from lead smelter base-report. Reuters. 2009-10-19. 2016-02-19.
- La Oroya's Legacy of Lead. Environmental Science & Technology. 2009-07-01. 5555–5557. 43. 15. 10.1021/es901734g. EN. Barbara. Fraser. 19731644 . free. 2009EnST...43.5555F .
- High blood lead levels in ceramic folk art workers in Michoacan, Mexico. Archives of Environmental Health. 1997-02-01. 0003-9896. 9039858. 51–55. 52. 1. 10.1080/00039899709603800. G. O.. Fernandez. R. R.. Martinez. T. I.. Fortoul. E.. Palazuelos.
- Acute lead poisoning associated with backyard lead smelting in Jamaica. The West Indian Medical Journal. 2006-12-01. 0043-3144. 17691233. 394–398. 55. 6. G. C.. Lalor. M. K.. Vutchkov. S. T.. Bryan. C. D. C.. Christie. D.. Donaldson. J.. Young. S.. Chambers. 10.1590/s0043-31442006000600005. free.
- Assessment and Remediation of Lead Contamination in Senegal. Journal of Health and Pollution. 1. 2. 37–47. 10.5696/2156-9614.1.2.37. 2011. Jones. Donald E.. Diop. Assane. Block. Meredith. Smith-Jones. Alexander. Smith-Jones. Andrea. free.
- Blood Lead Levels and Risk Factors for Lead Poisoning Among Children in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico. US Centers for Disease Control. 203. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Environmental Health, Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch/Health Studies Branch.
- Web site: WHO Nigeria: mass lead poisoning from mining activities, Zamfara State. https://web.archive.org/web/20100708082258/http://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_07_07/en/index.html. dead. July 8, 2010. www.who.int. 2016-02-19.
- Lead poisoning in children from townships in the vicinity of a lead–zinc mine in Kabwe, Zambia. Chemosphere. 2015-01-01. 941–947. 119. 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.09.028. John. Yabe. Shouta M. M.. Nakayama. Yoshinori. Ikenaka. Yared B.. Yohannes. Nesta. Bortey-Sam. Balazs. Oroszlany. Kaampwe. Muzandu. Kennedy. Choongo. Abel Nketani. Kabalo. 25303652. 2015Chmsp.119..941Y . 2115/58817. 267070208 . free.
- Web site: Notes from the Field: Severe Environmental Contamination and Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Children — Zambia, 2014. www.cdc.gov. 2016-02-19.