Lead poisoning in children 

Even though lead has no known biological function, it is the third most common element in human body, behind only zinc and iron. But when the level of lead in our body exceeds a certain level, it can have dangerous consequences. It causes severe damages to our brain and kidneys, and even death. This is why the use of lead is strictly regulated, and it is no different in Nepal. As painted surfaces are the chief sources of lead ingestion in children, the amount of its use in paints is tightly controlled. Or it is supposed to be. Two years ago, the government set the upper limit for the presence of lead in paints at 90 parts per million (ppm). Before the regulation, 70 percent of the samples of popular paints available in the market exceeded the 90 ppm threshold. When the Center for Public Health and Environment, an environmental NGO, tested common paints over a month recently, it found that 40 percent of paint samples contained lead in excess of the 90 ppm threshold. So the new regulation has had an effect, but the latest findings also suggest weak enforcement of the lead threshold.  

In another study, around 65 percent children aged 6 months-3 years visiting the outpatient departments of three hospitals in Kathmandu valley were found to have Blood Lead Level (BLL) exceeding 5 microgram per deciliter, the level considered safe by the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found “a significant association” between BLL and exposure to “enamel paints in the household in the form of painting materials used in different parts of the house like walls, windows and doors”. A year ago, in yet another study, a team under Dr Keyur Gautam had tested BBL among 100 children from Birgunj and Kathmandu, and found that among the children living near Birgunj industrial area, BLL in all tested children exceed 5 microgram level, while among the children of Kathmandu, around 65 percent had this dangerous level of BLL. The findings of all these studies are unequivocal. By so openly flouting the lead regulation, our paint-makers are willfully putting millions of children in the harm’s way. The only proper way to deal with them is to ban them. No one should be allowed to so brazenly play with the lives of small children. 

Has the Nepali state become so weak and ineffective that it cannot even punish those who are risking the lives of millions of children? What good is having regulations if they cannot be implemented? For instance the paint-makers are supposed to clearly state the amount of lead in their product on the container, which must also contain a clear health warning from lead. Yet few products in the market obey these provisions. Moreover, some paint samples have been found to have truly incredible amount of lead, as much as 560 times the prescribed threshold. Many of our children are inhaling this dangerous level of lead on a daily basis. This is not carelessness on the part of paint-makers. It is a serious crime. 

 
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