Pb awareness and research with aim to disseminate relevant information.

InSLAR is Indian society for lead awareness and research with aim to disseminate relevant information on toxic metals in general and Lead (Pb) poisoning in particular to Government authorities, NGO's, clinicians treating Pb poisoned cases and other institutions concerned, and create awareness among the general public through education, documentation and media communication.

The National Referral Centre for Pb Poisoning Prevention in India (NRCLPI) established by The George Foundation with St John's National Institute of Health Sciences, Bangalore is nodal Pb referral centre in India. There are five regional Pb referral centres and many sub centres associated with NRCLPI.

Department of Biochemistry,All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur is Western Region Pb Referral Centre NRCLPI. The centre is actively involved in conducting Pb awareness programs in schools and community. Professor Praveen Sharma (President InSLAR) is Director of the centre. Dr Shailja Sharma being coordinator of the centre is actively involved in creating awareness against impact of this heavy metal on health.

Health effects of lead poisoning on children

Lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children. At high levels of exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system to cause coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with mental retardation and behavioural disorders. At lower levels of exposure that cause no obvious symptoms lead is now known to produce a spectrum of injury across multiple body systems. In particular lead can affect children’s brain development resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behavior, and reduced educational attainment. Lead exposure also causes anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead are believed to be irreversible.

There is no known 'safe' blood lead concentration; even blood lead concentrations as low as 5 µg/dL, may be associated with decreased intelligence in children, behavioral difficulties and learning problems. As lead exposure increases, the range and severity of symptoms and effects also increases.

Encouragingly, the successful phasing out of leaded gasoline in most countries, together with other lead control measures, has resulted in a significant decline in population-level blood lead concentrations. There is now only one country that continues to use leaded fuel (1). More, however, needs to be done regarding the phasing out of lead paint: so far only 37% of countries have introduced legally binding controls on lead paint (2)

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimated that in 2017, lead exposure accounted for 1.06 million deaths and 24.4 million years of healthy life lost (disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)) worldwide due to long-term effects on health. The highest burden was in low- and middle-income countries. IHME also estimated that in 2016, lead exposure accounted for 63.2% of the global burden of idiopathic developmental intellectual disability, 10.3% of the global burden of hypertensive heart disease, 5.6% of the global burden of the ischaemic heart disease and 6.2% of the global burden of stroke (3)

Reference

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health

(1) Leaded Petrol Phase-out globally (2019)

Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme; 2019.

(2) Global Health Observatory: Regulations and controls on lead paint.

Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019

(3) Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Compare.

Seattle, WA: IHME, University of Washington; 2017.