CGD Lead Poisoning Bi-weekly Update, August 8

AuthorAuthor

Theo Mitchell & Rachel Bonnifield
August 08, 2025

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 Exposure in Homes as Modifying Factors of Blood Lead Levels Among Young Children in Bihar, India - Nash et al., Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. Home-based assessments across Bihar found 35% of children had blood lead levels above 10µg/dl. Elevated BLLs were significantly associated with spice lead content. Authors call for stricter enforcement of lead limits in spices, improved monitoring of metal foodware, and public awareness campaigns.

  • Lead Poisoning Scandal and Cover-Up in China - New York Times. In Gansu Province, over 250 kindergardeners were poisoned by food colored with pigments containing 20% lead, up to 2,000× over China’s limit. Officials tampered with blood tests to hide the scale of exposure; 247 children had elevated levels. Six people were arrested and 17 more face investigation.

  • Correlation Between Blood Lead Levels and Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Paediatric Population – Asad et al., Pak Armed Forces Medical Journal. In a cross-sectional study of 300 school-aged children in Pakistan, 63% had blood lead levels ≥10 µg/dL. Serum iron, serum ferritin and anemia were associated with high BLLs. Authors recommend routine lead testing in cases of iron deficiency to improve early detection and prevention.

  • Lead Impregnation in Blood Donors in Algiers – Benbouabdellah & Kaddour, Transfusion. BLL testing in blood donors found that 18% of the 300 person sample had BLL over 1.8 μg/dL. Recent home renovations and kohl use were linked to higher lead levels. Occupational exposure (car mechanic) was the associated with the highest observed blood lead level, at 16 μg/dL.

  • Seafood Consumption, Lead Exposure, and Stunting in Children – Wati et al., Journal of Nutrition College. In a retrospective study of 60 children aged 24–59 months in Cilincing District, Jakarta, frequent seafood consumption in a highly polluted coastal area was significantly associated with higher urinary lead levels and stunting.

Upcoming Events

  • ISES–ISEE 2025, Atlanta – Reducing Children’s Lead Exposures in Sub-Saharan Africa. Tuesday, 19 August, 10:15–11:45. Pure Earth is sponsoring a symposium chaired by Anne Riederer (University of Washington) on balancing primary and secondary prevention for lead in SSA. Presentations will share new data from Ghana and Kenya on exposure sources, market screening, links between food insecurity and BLLs, and early blood lead screening/public health campaigns.

Other Announcements

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