Lead, one of several toxic heavy metals, contaminates water sources and soil due to activities like galamsey. Found in gold ore, lead must be removed to extract the precious metal. Various methods, such as using mercury and cyanide, are employed for lead removal, but the unregulated and careless use of these substances exacerbates the environmental damage caused by galamsey.
When lead contaminates drinking water through mining activities or the erosion of lead-containing materials in water systems, it results in widespread lead poisoning with serious consequences. Besides water contamination, lead poisoning can also come from other sources like paints, cosmetics, medicines, certain jewelry, toys, canned foods, and industrial pollutants.
One tragic example of lead poisoning occurred in 1999, when 80 Roma children died and over 1,000 suffered severe health complications after being exposed to lead from a former mining site in Kosovo. Many of these children experienced long-term effects, including cognitive delays and irreversible organ damage.
Unlike infectious diseases that manifest quickly, lead poisoning is insidious, gradually building up in the body over time. The public health danger lies in the fact that even small amounts of lead can severely affect brain development, learning, and growth. Importantly, there is no "safe" level of lead exposure, especially for young children.
Children are particularly vulnerable due to their developing brains, which are easily damaged by lead exposure. Lead poisoning can lead to developmental delays, impairing intelligence and academic performance, and often causing children to drop out of school, ultimately leading to a loss of human potential and productivity with long-term economic consequences for a nation.
Children also absorb lead more efficiently than adults, taking in up to four or five times more lead from the same exposure. Their natural curiosity, along with their tendency to put objects in their mouths and less rigorous handwashing habits, further increases their risk. Malnourished children are particularly at risk since lead competes with essential nutrients like calcium and iron, worsening malnutrition.
Pregnant women exposed to lead may suffer miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births, or give birth to children with congenital defects. For men, lead poisoning can result in low sperm counts. Lead also causes irreversible damage to vital organs like the brain, liver, kidneys, lungs, and heart.
As the world observes Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Ghanaians are urged to take action against activities that threaten their health and future. As Walter Raleigh once said, "Prevention is the daughter of intelligence." The question is, what legacy will we leave for future generations if we fail to act now?
Credit:Graphic Online.
