Nigerian health officials reported that 28 children have died due to lead poisoning caused by an illegal gold mining operation in a remote village in the west-central portion of the country.
Children in the dozens are still sick, needing quick treatment to prevent irreversible brain damage from setting in. According to Michelle Chouinard, Doctors Without Borders director for Nigeria, they are still treating children from a previous lead poisoning incident in which 400 children died and many others were left blind, paralyzed and hit with learning disabilities.
Fidelis Nwanko, Nigeria's Junior Health Minister, said that all of the children affected by the new incident are under five years old, with 43 percent of 65 sick and dying.
"The devastating impact of this outbreak is associated with new mining sites which were found to contain more leaded ores which are often brought home for crushing and processing," he explained.
The government has already forbidden artisanal mining, but efforts have failed because poor villagers chose to overlook risks to bring home more money. Compared with farming, an individual can make up to 10 times more with mining for gold.
The processing area for mined ores was found in the Zamfara state, which contained more than 100,000 parts per million of lead. The United Nations considers just 400 parts per million to be safe, but the World Health Organization disagrees, saying there is no such thing as safe levels when it comes to lead.
Lead is a naturally occurring metal. Unfortunately, it's toxic. Over three-quarters of the lead used around the world go to manufacturing lead-acid batteries, but the metal can also be used in a number of other products, like ammunition, pigments, crystal vessels, jewelry and toys. However, much of the lead used for commercial purposes is acquired through recycling, not through mining.
When absorbed into the body, lead accumulates, affecting several body systems. It is particularly dangerous to young children, which explains the death rate in the most recent incident of lead poisoning in Nigeria. Exposure to lead during childhood is estimated to be a contributing factor to the development of intellectual disabilities in around 600,000 new children every year. In developing regions, exposure to lead accounts for about 143,000 deaths each year.
To check for lead poisoning, a blood test is used, but the presence of a blue line around the gums is also a telltale sign.
The children acquired lead poisoning from drinking water, but the metal can also be absorbed by the body through breathing air and ingesting food.
Photo: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | Flickr
