Mass Lead Intoxication from Informal Used Lead-Acid Battery Recycling in Dakar, Senegal

Abstract

Background and objectivesBetween November 2007 and March 2008, 18 children died from a rapidly progressive central nervous system disease of unexplained origin in a community involved in the recycling of used lead-acid batteries (ULAB) in the suburbs of Dakar, Senegal. We investigated the cause of these deaths.MethodsBecause autopsies were not possible, the investigation centered on clinical and laboratory assessments performed on 32 siblings of deceased children and 23 mothers and on 18 children and 8 adults living in the same area, complemented by environmental health investigations.ResultsAll 81 individuals investigated were poisoned with lead, some of them severely. The blood lead level of the 50 children tested ranged from 39.8 to 613.9 μg/dL with a mean of 129.5 μg/dL. Seventeen children showed severe neurologic features of toxicity. Homes and soil in surrounding areas were heavily contaminated with lead (indoors, up to 14,000 mg/kg; outdoors, up to 302,000 mg/kg) as a result of informal ULAB recycling.ConclusionsOur investigations revealed a mass lead intoxication that occurred through inhalation and ingestion of soil and dust heavily contaminated with lead as a result of informal and unsafe ULAB recycling. Circumstantial evidence suggested that most or all of the 18 deaths were due to encephalopathy resulting from severe lead intoxication. Findings also suggest that most habitants of the contaminated area, estimated at 950, are also likely to be poisoned. This highlights the severe health risks posed by informal ULAB recycling, in particular in developing countries, and emphasizes the need to strengthen national and international efforts to address this global public health problem.

Health risk assessment of various metal(loid)s via multiple exposure pathways on children living near a typical lead-acid battery plant, China

“…Previous studies conducted around battery-related factories mostly focused on Pb pollution in the surroundings Onianwa and Fakayode, 2000), lead exposure of occupational workers (Ahmed et al, 2008;Chuang et al, 2008) or children Haefliger et al, 2009;Kaul et al, 1999;Kuijp et al, 2013) living in the vicinities of the plants. However, the exposure and combined health risks from other heavy metal(loid)s such as As, Cd, and Cr were rarely studied.…”

Analysis of a novel field dilution method for testing samples that exceed the analytic range of point-of-care blood lead analyzers

“…A recent investigation in Nigeria revealed over 100 child fatalities related to lead poisoning (Dooyema et al 2011;Lo et al 2012). There are also reports of lead-related fatalities from Senegal (Haefliger et al 2009), where the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed at least 18 children died from lead poisoning. Additionally, there are many reports of extremely elevated blood lead levels from other countries (Nduka et al 2008;Orisakwe and Nduka 2009;Shi et al 2009;Brown et al 2010;Niu 2010;Norman et al 2010;Ramos et al 2010;Rowley 2010).…”

In Vivo Cytogenotoxicity of Electronic Waste Leachate from Iloabuchi Electronic Market, Diobu, Rivers State, Nigeria on Allium Cepa

“…The burning of the e-waste is not a good option as either exposure to lead fumes or dust is known to cause multiple disorders, including neurological, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases [20], exposure to cadmium fumes or dust leads to malfunctioning of the kidneys [21] and the respiratory system [22], and possibly lung cancer [23]. Either inhaled or swallowed through the food chain, the metals are capable of eliciting the same results as observed in the present study.…”