Economic Costs of Childhood Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

Background: Children’s blood lead levels have declined worldwide, especially after the removal of lead in gasoline. However, significant exposure remains, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To date, there have been no global estimates of the costs related to lead exposure in children in developing countries.Objective: Our main aim was to estimate the economic costs attributable to childhood lead exposure in low- and middle-income countries.Methods: We developed a regression model to estimate mean blood lead levels in our population of interest, represented by each 1-year cohort of children < 5 years of age. We used an environmentally attributable fraction model to estimate lead-attributable economic costs and limited our analysis to the neurodevelopmental impacts of lead, assessed as decrements in IQ points. Our main outcome was lost lifetime economic productivity due to early childhood exposure.Results: We estimated a total cost of $977 billions of international dollars in low- and middle-income countries, with economic losses equal to $134.7 billion in Africa [4.03% of gross domestic product (GDP)], $142.3 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean (2.04% of GDP), and $699.9 billion in Asia (1.88% of GDP). Our sensitivity analysis indicates a total economic loss in the range of $728.6–1162.5 billion.Conclusions: We estimated that, in low- and middle-income countries, the burden associated with childhood lead exposure amounts to 1.20% of world GDP in 2011. For comparison, in the United States and Europe lead-attributable economic costs have been estimated at $50.9 and $55 billion, respectively, suggesting that the largest burden of lead exposure is now borne by low- and middle-income countries.Citation: Attina TM, Trasande L. 2013. Economic costs of childhood lead exposure in low- and middle-income countries. Environ Health Perspect 121:1097–1102; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206424

Low-Level Prenatal Lead Exposure Alters Auditory Recognition Memory in 2-Month-Old Infants: An Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) Study

“…Both prenatal and postnatal exposures to lead (Pb) adversely affect neurocognitive and behavioral development in infants and young children (Boucher et al, 2012; Boucher et al, 2009; Chiodo, Jacobson, & Jacobson, 2004; Rothenberg, Poblano, & Schnaas, 2000), with substantial individual, economic, and social costs (Attina & Trasande, 2013; Grosse, Matte, Schwartz, & Jackson, 2002; Reyes, 2007). Despite of efforts to reduce Pb contamination, a large population is still at risk for excessive exposure irrespective of national development.…”

Highly Stable and Efficient Lignin‐PEDOT/PSS Composites for Removal of Toxic Metals

“…[12] An adsorption capacity as high as 650. 4 and 3690 mg g −1 were also reported for electrosorption of Pb(II) ions from water using N-doped graphene aerogels [13] and graphene oxide-bearing nickel foam, [14] respectively. Antilen et al used humic acid/polypyrrole modified graphite electrode for extraction of As (V) [15] and Cu(II).…”

Intoxicación por plomo y nivel de marginación en recién nacidos de Morelos, México

“…7 En términos económicos, los costos totales anuales estimados atribuibles a la exposición infantil al Pb en México son de 32 mil millones de dólares con pérdidas económicas equivalentes a 1.85% de PIB anual. 28 El presente estudio encontró que la principal fuente de exposición en población general es la loza de BV con Pb, y que su uso sigue siendo altamente prevalente en la población de mujeres embarazadas en Morelos, con una clara relación entre frecuencia de uso de BV de la madre y los niveles de PbS (figura 2). Eliminar esta fuente de exposición es posible, pero requiere de un esfuerzo multisectorial coordinado que incluya a instancias de gobierno en distintos niveles de los sectores salud, desarrollo social y trabajo productivo y comercial en relación con la producción y comercialización de loza de BV a fin de emprender acciones que promuevan entornos saludables.…”