OP-ED: Poison in our blood

A need to push for global eradication of lead poisoning According to the Institute of Health Metrics Evaluation (IHME), 800 million children globally have higher blood lead levels than normal. Based on the 2019 Global Burden of Disease dataset, IHME estimated that approximately 900,000 adults died every year as a result of lead poisoning.

The irony of lead poisoning is that there is no safe level for lead exposure, according to the World Health Organization. Blood lead levels at or above 5 g/dL are the level at which the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated requires intervention, and a level at which the World Health Organization says may be associated with decreased intelligence in children, behavioral problems, and learning difficulties.