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 events
Name of eventYear Country City
  1. Tested high*
  1. deaths
Source of lead exposure ReferencesComments
Đông Mai 2015 Vietnam Đông Mai 102 0 Auto-battery recycling ref[3] Ongoing
El Paso/Juarez 1974 USA/Mexico El Paso, Texas391 0 Lead smelter ref[4] Plant closed
Fiengxiang 2009 China Shanxi615 0 Lead smelter ref[5]
Hunan 2008 China Hunan1354 0 Manganese factory ref[6]
Jiyuan 2009 China Jiyuan1000 0 Lead smelter ref[7] 99.7% of children poisoned
2004 Peru La Oroya100's 0 Lead smelter ref[8] Plant closed
Michoacán 2009? Mexico Michoacán311 0 Lead-glazed pottery ref[9] Ongoing
Santo Amaro 1985 Brazil Bahia555 0 Lead smelter ref[10]
Thiaroye-sur-Mer 2008 Senegal Thiaroye, Dakar150+ 18 Auto-battery recycling ref[11] Closed
Torreón 2000 Mexico Torreón11181 0 Lead smelter ref[12]
2010 Nigeria Zamfara1000+ 163–400 Artisanal miningref[13] Ongoing
2013 Zambia Kabwe1000+ 0 Lead mining and smelter ref[14] [15]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 11 August 2023 . Lead poisoning . World Health Organization.
  2. Abelsohn . Alan . Sanborn . Margaret . June 2010 . Lead and children: Clinical management for family physicians . Canadian Family Physician . 56 . 6 . 531-535 . PubMed Central.
  3. 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 .
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. News: China to move residents from lead smelter base-report. Reuters. 2009-10-19. 2016-02-19.
  8. 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 .
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Web site: Notes from the Field: Severe Environmental Contamination and Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Children — Zambia, 2014. www.cdc.gov. 2016-02-19.

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