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M9.4 Blog: Heavy Metals

M9.4 Blog: Heavy Metals 


An environmental health response to a severe outbreak of childhood lead poisoning in NigeriaCasey Bartrem 

 It's quite devastating to read about 400 deaths that occurred in children at such a young age (5 years or younger). With outside sources coming in to help, I think they did the right thing in involving the community members and locals with the process of remediation. The remediation aimed to reduce exposure, build multi-level support during health crises, and creating long-term  environmental remedies for miners. This is an example of where medical prevention is key in order to minimize the death rates amongst populations. I believe prevention strategies could have been set in place, if there was more education and transparency about lead and its effects by the government or public health sector.

Lead Poisoning

It's crazy to think that childhood lead poisoning was only recognized a century ago. I am happy they are focusing on childhood lead poisoning specifically, because children are more sensitive to lead exposure than adults. Lead can cause abdominal pains, headaches, behavioral changes, and convulsions. As mentioned in class, there are several bills waiting to be passed regarding the right to know about lead contaminated living spaces. The article I found specifically discussed the importance of pregnant women or kids under the age of five having this information. This article reenforces the notion that this is a serious issue that has been going on for decades. It is time to be stopped in it's tracks. 

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