One in three children in the world has high levels of lead in their blood, according to a report published this week by Unicef ​​and the organization Pure Earth. This corresponds to almost 800 million children in the world.

- It may not sound like much, but when we talk about a third of the world's children who have too high levels of lead, it's alarming, Nicholas Rees tells SVT.

Damages the brain

Excessive lead levels, ie more than five micrograms per deciliter, can have serious consequences for children's health and the report points out several harmful effects.

Above all, it affects the child's learning and in the long run society and the economy of the future.

- We lose a lot on this, such as children's ability to reach their full potential in the future. Especially when it comes to innovation and creativity, says Nicholas Rees.

The risk is, among other things, delayed development, which leads to cognitive problems in children, such as reduced intelligence, behavioral disorders and increased tendencies to violence.

- Children under the age of five are more sensitive. Their brains are still developing and the neurological damage is higher for children than adults, even if they are exposed to similar levels of lead, says Nicholas Rees.

Need to map health

The report highlights, among other things, that it is above all children in low- and middle-income countries who are exposed to the high levels of lead. Lead batteries are pointed out as a contributing factor to poisoning because they are often not recycled safely and can therefore remain in the ground for a long time.

One measure to prevent high lead levels, according to the authors, is to increase awareness of the health risks of lead.

- Many of those who are exposed to high levels of lead are not aware of how dangerous lead is. We must improve awareness and work to prevent continued exposure, says Nicholas Rees.