CGD Lead Poisoning Update
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CGD Lead Poisoning Bi-weekly Update, April 3

CGD Lead Poisoning Bi-weekly Update, April 3

Theo Mitchell & Rachel Bonnifield
April 03, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

Sharing here CGD’s bi-weekly update on lead poisoning publications, events, job opportunities, and funding announcements.

We welcome submissions for future newsletters at this link. New subscribers can sign up at this link, and existing subscribers can remove themselves from future updates via the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. We will also invite the new subscribers to join our monthly check-in call.

With best wishes,

Rachel Bonnifield
Senior Fellow
Center for Global Development

New Publications and Resources

Lead-Acid Battery Recycling in Selected African Settings: Status Quo and Considerations for Sector Policies. Andreas Manhart and Fred Adeji. Center for Global Development. Safer recycling is often less competitive; low-standard plants outcompete high-standard ones by cutting costs and offering higher prices for batteries.
Ending Childhood Lead Poisoning Through Better Testing: A Q&A with Dr. Robbie Barbero. Renaissance Philanthropy. The proposed “Element 82” fund aims to use philanthropic incentives to accelerate development of a low-cost, easy-to-use test within five years.
EPA’s FY2026 Commitments Under Federal Lead Action Plan. Unleaded Kids. Tom Neltner. EPA is increasingly treating soil as a major source of lead exposure, not just paint or pipes.
Precision occupational lead exposure assessment through medical-informed machine learning. Lu et al. Environmental Pollution. Authors validate a tool for early lead exposure risk stratification and establish a generalizable knowledge-guided machine learning framework for environmental and occupational health research.
Impact of Soil Lead on Children's Urinary Levels and Learning Disabilities in Areas of Diffuse Contamination. Petit el al. Preprint. Soil lead levels considered acceptable (e.g. ~400 mg/kg in Europe) are still linked to higher child exposure and more learning disabilities.
GAHP Organised the 2026 Regional Pollution Forum in Vietnam. GAHP. The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution convened a regional forum in Ho Chi Minh City last month, bringing together Southeast Asian policymakers and experts to address pollution. Discussions highlighted ongoing lead exposure sources and the need for stronger monitoring, evidence-based policy, and regional collaboration.
Lead Pollution Levels From Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULABs). GAHP. Lead pollution levels in used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) plastic casings vary drastically depending on the source (formal vs. informal recycling) and the initial washing and separation steps. The ultimate goal of formal recycling is to reduce lead content to a level safe for introducing the plastic into the wider recycling market.

Job Opportunities

The Examination is hiring a reporter to conduct more investigations into companies and governments responsible for lead poisoning worldwide.

Upcoming Events

Join Pure Earth President Drew McCartor for a Devex webinar, hosted in partnership with The Audacious Project, on how philanthropy can help countries move from awareness to lasting, system-level action on lead poisoning. Register here. Thu, 9 Apr 2026, 14:00–15:00 BST, Online.