EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEAD ON

THE HEALTH STATUS OF WOMEN AND

CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

THUPPIL VENKATESH
Member Ministry of Environment & Forest (India)
Advisor QCI & Lead Assessor NABL, NABH, NABCB
Director NRCLPI & Professor
Dept of Biochemistry & Biophysics
St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences
Bangalore 560034
E-mail:
venkatesh.thuppil@gmail.com
www: leadpoison.net

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Battery Recycling In New Delhi, 2004
Something can be done about this:

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 Skills and lead
Intellectual abilities is inversely proportional to
blood lead.

IT IS A TERRIBLE
THING TO WASTE A
CHILD
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 Lead Poisoning Epidemic
In Developing Countries
Lead poisoning is the most serious environmental
health threat to women and children
 The World Health Organization estimates
that 120 million people are overexposed to
lead and 99 percent of the most serious
cases are in the developing world.

 Children most severely effected (school

performance, IQ, mental retardation,
anemia, GI tract, kidney damage & other
symptoms)

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 Entry in to our system

No specific
ingestion route –
we eat it,
we drink it, and
we breathe it.
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 DNA & lead

 Chronic lead exposure is known to

bring about significant damage to
DNA. Even very low levels of blood
lead of less than 5 micrograms per
deciliter is known to have caused
DNA aberrations.
 Estimated cost of lead poisoning
among children in India is over 3000
million rupees per year.
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 LEAD - HISTORICAL ASPECTS
 Mankind has used lead for over 6000 years
 Earliest recorded lead mine is in Turkey about 6500 BC
 In ancient city of Anatolia smelted lead in the form of necklace is
found estimated age of this necklace is 6000-8000 years.

Human exposure is mainly due to

 Easy workability

 low MP

 Ability to form carbon metal compound

 Holds pigment well

 Withstands extreme climatic conditions

 High degree of corrosion resistance

 Low cost
 ACBI 2000

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 Lead Acid Battery
Almost 80% of all the lead now used in
many parts of the world is for the
production of lead-acid batteries.
It is unfortunate that in India and
other developing countries the
environmental friendly recycled lead
is of much lower proportion in lead
acid battery manufacturing.

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Lack of awareness

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 Costs of Lead Poisoning
 The estimated cost of lead poisoning among children
in India is over 600 million dollars (U.S.) per year

 Additional costs for adults excluded: gastrointestinal

disorders, anemia, reproductive effects (including
birth defects), cancer, kidney damage, and
cardiovascular disease (resulting from elevated
blood pressure).

The savings from

implementing the
certification program is over
20 million dollars for a 10
year period

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 Scientific importance
“If we were to judge of the
interest excited by any medical
subject by the number of
writings to which it has given
birth, we could not but regard
the poisoning by lead as the
most important to be known of
all those that have been treated
of, up to the present time.”
Orfila, 1817
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 Lead in environment
 Priorto 2000, lead was added to
gasoline as an anti-knock agent in
India.
 By the end of 1999, 51% children’s
below 12 years of age with blood
lead greater than 10ug/dl.
 Indian government introduced
unleaded gasoline in March 2000.

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Other cognitive effects: reading

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 1st Series of
Epidemiological Studies

There is a decrease
in I.Q. associated
with an increase in
blood lead. There
is no threshold.

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 IQ and Child
 If Einstein were to be born in India –
He would have missed his Nobel
Prize
 How many children in DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES are deprived of this
intellectual achievements due to lack
of awareness about lead poisoning.

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Thousands in India

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Thousands of land mines are found in developing countries

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Comparison of Lead Content of New Paint
by Color (based on 3rd coat readings)
XRF lead reading, mg/cm sq.
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

Paint Color

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Where children play are loaded with lead

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Would you like have any child to play with this ?

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 Important Properties of Lead in a
Biological system
 Lead bio-accumulates in bones,
teeth, nails, and hair.
 The ultimate fate of lead is – it
doesn’t degrade. Binds to several
proteins in the body. Competes with
Calcium metabolism
 No placental barrier or blood brain
barrier.

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 BLOOD LEAD LEVELS > 10UG/DL
USING ASV
AGE >12 Y <12 Y Comments 2005

 NATION 40.2% 51.4% Increasing

 BANGALORE15.8% 39.9% Increasing no change
 CALCUTTA 40.0% 55.7% Increasing
 CHENNAI 52.0% 66.8% Increasing
 DELHI 64.7% 54.1% Decreased
 MUMBAI 76.1% 61.8% Decreased

 NATION (<12 YRS) (>20 = 12.6%) (>30 = 2.7%) (>40 =1.3%)

THUPPIL ET ALL 1999 TGF

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The Tianneng Battery Factory
in Zhejiang Province, China

The site of a violent protest in August

2005 following the discovery of lead
poisoning among 700 children residing
near the plant.
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 LEVELS OF LEAD IN
INDIAN MEDICINE
Name of the brand Lead Content (ug/g)
 Saptamruth Loh 5.12
 Keshar Gulgul 2.08
 Punarvadi Gugul 1.99
 Trifla Gugul 4.18
 Ghasard 16,000
 Bala Goli 25
 Kamdu 6.7
 Arogyavardhini 63.20
 Sankavathi 13
 Brahmivita 27,500
 Chyanprash 7.3
 Trivanga Bhasma 261.2
 Diabline Bhasma 37.77
 Heptagaurd 0.4
 Deshi Deva 1200
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 LEVELS OF LEAD IN
MIDDLE EAST, ASIAN & AFRICAN MEDICINE
Name of the brand Lead Content (ug/g) Medicinal
use

Alkohi 85% Tropical Medicine

Anzroot ? Colic, Diarrhea

Cebagin 51% Teething powder

Henna ? Hair dye

Bali Goli ? Stomach ache

Kandu ? Stomach ache

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 LEVELS OF LEAD IN CHINESE
MEDICINE
Name of the brand Lead Content (ug/g) Medicinal use

Cordyceps 412-20,000 ug/g Tropical/herbal Medicine

Poying Tan 7.5 mg/dose General

Bo Bow Sen 1000mg/g Hyperactivity

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 LEVELS OF LEAD IN
MEXICAN AND CENTRAL AMERICAN MEDICINE
Name of the brand Lead Content (ug/g) Medicinal use

Albayalde or Albayaidle 93% Vomiting & Colic

Apathy & lethargy

Alarcon, azarcon, Coral luiga,

Maria luisa, ruida 95% ,,

Greeta 97% Vomiting and colic

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 LEAD POISONING- Treatment
 Chelation
– EDTA NEPHROTOXICITY; HYPOCALCEMIA; ALLERGY; HYPOGLYCEMIA ETC.

– Penicillamine
– BAL
– DMSA EXPENSIVE
– DMPS
– DFO
– Suppositories NON INVASIVE/ CHEAP/ SAFE
Ted Rozema 1999

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 Problem associated with alternate
energy sources
 PV solar
 Wind mills

 Power backup

 etc/

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We need a global policy through
 Recognition of the work: 3rd IUCN Seed award given to the
work done in India on lead acid battery certification.
 Support from UNDP and World Bank comes forward
towards preparing the lead map of the area.
 Lead poisoning in 100% preventable: partnering multi
stake holders
 We need to create a lead safe society as lead free society is
not possible.
 Scientists to work outside the four walls of the lab/clinics.
 Developed countries not to use developing countries as
dumping grounds of waste and using them as work-shops
for dirty work.

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Frog in a tea pot
INCHES

VIENNA 2007

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 Thanks to

ORGANIZERS OF INCHES FOR

PROVIDING THE TOTAL
SUPPORT FOR MY
PARTICIPATION

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