Global Experts Urge End to Lead Use in Landmark Health Study

Aga Khan University’s Dr Zafar Fatmi has co-authored a new paper published in the Lancet Planetary Health, highlighting the urgent need to eliminate lead from the global economy. The study, led by Stanford University and co-authored by experts from renowned institutions including AKU, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Southern California, and the Centre Scientifique de Monaco, presents compelling evidence for a swift global phaseout of lead.

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“Why do we allow trillions of dollars of damage to human health, entire ecosystems, and the global economy to accrue for the sake of $100 billion in benefits?" asks Dr Fatmi, Section Head of Environmental, Occupational Health, and Climate Change at AKU’s Community Health Sciences. The authors argue that despite its limited economic value, lead’s impact on health, productivity, and ecosystems is staggering, affecting life expectancy, cognitive development, and environmental health worldwide.

The paper reveals that 5.2 million tons of lead entered the environment in 2022 alone, largely driven by demand for low-cost lead-acid batteries. Lead pollution endangers ecosystems and harms organisms across the food chain, from plants and animals to humans, contributing to 5.5 million premature deaths annually from cardiovascular disease and resulting in 765 million lost IQ points among children. Beyond health impacts, lead is responsible for significant losses in productivity due to its neurotoxic effects, including reduced brain function, cognitive impairment, and behaviour changes.

Lead, classified as a potent neurotoxin, is no longer necessary for the global economy. The paper asserts that readily available, safer alternatives make lead’s continued use and production both outdated and economically unwise. Notably, lead-based products generate less than $100 billion annually, an amount dwarfed by the economic and societal costs of lead-related health burdens, premature death, and lost productivity.

The authors urge a comprehensive approach to lead removal, including a proposed phaseout by 2035, a tax on lead products, and international regulations to classify lead as toxic waste. Given the limitations of current recycling practices in many regions, particularly low- and middle-income countries, the paper advocates for a paradigm shift, pushing for safer, lead-free alternatives and enhanced regulatory frameworks.

“The data is clear: the cost to human health and the environment is simply too high to ignore,” Dr Fatmi emphasizes. The study also suggests that a global treaty could inspire a multi-pronged approach, including donor-funded research into alternatives, policy initiatives, and investment in low-cost substitutes.

This collaborative work signifies a growing movement among scientists and policy experts to end lead exposure and foster a healthier, more sustainable global economy.