Blacksmith was called to Senegal after the March 2008 deaths of 18 children under the age of five in the Dakar neighborhood of Thiaroye-Sur-Mer. The children died from acute lead poisoning from exposure to deadly lead dust due to the informal recycling of used car batteries. Until recently, the main economic activity in Thiaroye-Sur-Mer involved the haphazard melting of car batteries to reclaim the scrap lead inside. Because this activity was conducted in the informal sector, out in the open air, and largely by the women of the community, the children of Thiaroye-Sur-Mer were particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning. After the deaths in Senegal, the government worked quickly to shut down these battery-smelting operations. However, the legacy of many years of unregulated lead processing has rendered the entire community of 40,000 people exceedingly polluted. In April 2008, the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the University of Dakar Toxicology division conducted blood tests among 41 children of Thiaroye-Sur-Mer. All children tested had blood levels that exceeded WHO limits of 10 æg/dl, with the highest average being 158 æg/dl for the one-to-five year age group. According to most international standards, lead levels above 70 æg/dL in children are considered medical emergencies. A visit to the site by Blacksmith Institute staff at the same time revealed large amounts of lead dust present in homes, stores and streets throughout the community.

ANAM (Panama’s Ministry of the Environment) reports that PAMETSA, a secondary smelter located in Panama City, processes spent lead-acid batteries, recovers plastic casings and smelts recovered lead into ingots. The PAMETSA site is located in a suburban area surrounded by domestic dwellings. The site is roughly 2.6 acres (a little over 1 ha) in area. There is a buffer of trees between the smelter buildings and the community of interest. The community is especially concerned about exposure to their children to lead contamination as a result of emissions from the PAMETSA site. Blacksmith investigators made an initial investigation in January 2008. A site assessment was conducted to collect information and soil samples for lead analysis. Dust wipes in five homes were taken. Soil lead concentration levels as high as 65,000 ppm Pb (parts of lead (Pb) per million) were reported. There is no information about the fate of acid reclaimed from the batteries. As many as 10,000 people may be at risk of lead exposure in communities surrounding PAMETSA. Lead poisoning causes central nervous system damage and impairs neurological development especially in children. The investigators recommended additional sampling in the community and provided equipment to do so. A memorandum of understanding was developed with the parties involved.

This project is part of the Lead Poisoning and Car Batteries Project. Full project details are available at www.blacksmithinstitute.org/haina.html

Tiljala lies in eastern Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. About 34 small-scale secondary lead smelters operate here. They are located in close proximity to dense residential areas and open water bodies, thus endangering residents with lead exposure from smelter emissions and dust.

Significant industrial waste is haphazardly dumped into the Meycauayan River, a source of domestic and agricultural water for 250,000 people living in and around Manila. Substantial contamination comes from small scale lead recycling facilities along the river at Marilao, and from the many tanneries that dump untreated hexavalent chromium into the river. This river also feeds directly into the Manila Bay, and its effluents contaminate shellfish in commercial fishing areas.