CGD Lead Poisoning Bi-weekly Update, September 19

New Publications and Resources

• APEC calls for roadmap to eliminate lead from new water systems in Asia-Pacific Region. KTLA. APEC issued a call for a regional roadmap to address lead in drinking water, supported by members of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future via the International Working Group on Toxic Metals.

• A simple kit to detect extractable lead concentrations in soil. Moura et al. Geoderma. A journal article describes a new approach to testing lead concentrations in soil, deploying a simple kit costing <US$1/test with a 85% sensitivity for 200mg/kg Pb soil (the US EPA threshold). They also produced a video describing the procedure.

• NESREA seals 29 facilities in S’West for environmental pollution. PUNCH. The Nigerian Environmental Agency closed 29 sites for severe pollution, of which nine were battery or scrap-metal recyclers. The closures cite violations of the new National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024, such as operating without permits or fume-control systems, failing to test workers’ blood lead, and dumping hazardous waste. Despite repeated warnings and offers of technical support, many operators ignored environmental laws, prompting this enforcement.

• Buffalo forfeits more than $1 million in federal lead funds. Investigative Post. The city of Buffalo will return $1.2 million of a $2 million HUD Lead Hazard Reduction grant after failing to spend the money by the deadline. The city’s urban-renewal agency had pledged to remediate lead hazards in 110 homes but completed or contracted work in only 34 units. Officials cited contractor shortages and restrictive guidelines, but critics say the real problem is mismanagement

• Chicago has the most lead pipes in the nation. We mapped them all. Grist. An interactive map shows the percentage of water pipes that are made of lead by area, averaging 83% for the whole city.

Job Opportunities

• Stanford’s Center for Human and Planetary Health is hiring two Postdoctoral Scholars for Project Unleaded, an interdisciplinary effort on lead contamination and health. Both positions start Fall 2025 (one-year, renewable). Apply by 1 Oct 2025: Apply by 1 Oct 2025.

  • Postdoc #1 – Laboratory/Measurement Focus: Work on improving methods for detecting lead in paint, spices, soil, and cosmetics, and advance lab-based environmental science solutions.

  • Postdoc #2 – Survey/Data Focus: Lead large-scale household survey design and analysis (e.g., 12,000 households across India) to better understand sources of lead exposure and inform interventions.

Upcoming Events

• During the 2025 UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future will host a high-level breakfast event, Toward a Lead-Free Future: Mobilizing to End Childhood Lead Exposure. Global leaders will convene to ask the question: What will it take—technically, politically, and financially—to achieve a lead-free future for children? The event will be livestreamed here. September 23, 2025 (7:15am - 8:45am EDT).

• Also during during UNGA in New York, Pure Earth and Vital Strategies are hosting Making a Lead-Free Future a Reality, a conversation and cocktail reception with global organizations to celebrate progress and discuss continued needs in lead-affected countries. September 22, 2025 (5:30pm - 7:30pm ET). Space is limited. RSVP to [email protected].