Lead in recycled-metal cookware a health threat in Africa

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in science on (#2SM6)
Scientists have identified lead poisoning - transmitted through cookware made of recycled metal - as an important factor in the health of Africans. And lead poisoning has important impacts on health, learning, and cognition.

Despite the ban on lead in gasoline, blood lead levels in African nations have remained stubbornly high. Now, researchers from Ashland University think they might know why. According to their tests, cookware made in Africa from recycled metals is leaching lead into food in quantities nearly 200 times the levels permissible in the United States.

"This previously unrecognized lead exposure source has the potential to be of much greater public health significance than lead paint or other well-known sources that are common around the world," added co-author Perry Gottesfeld. Lead exposure in children has been linked to brain damage, impaired cognition, lower educational performance, and a range of other health effects. It has also been suggested that the worldwide drop in violent crime was linked to the banning of leaded gasoline.
Reply 9 comments

Just what a violence torn continent needs (Score: 1)

by fishybell@pipedot.org on 2014-09-19 22:25 (#2SMN)

If we all remember (and mentioned in TFA), leaded gasoline was linked to surge in violent crime, and probably causative due to lead poisoning effect on the brain. I can't fathom that this isn't hurting already fragile situations.

OTOH (Score: -1, Troll)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-20 01:56 (#2SMR)

This is a tried and proven way to solve the problems of over population and poverty

fleshlight air drops (Score: 1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-20 02:07 (#2SMV)

population problem solved

Re: fleshlight air drops (Score: 1)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-09-20 21:04 (#2SNQ)

I'm imagining what that would look like: You're hanging out there with the family, a helicopter goes by. Suddenly, the sky is filled with sex toys attached to parachutes. Banzai! Not sure if it's the best solution, but it would be damned funny to see.

Re: fleshlight air drops (Score: 2, Funny)

by eviljim@pipedot.org on 2014-09-23 04:26 (#2ST4)

lol, running around trying to catch one on the tip...like a sexy snowflake

Re: fleshlight air drops (Score: 1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-20 21:47 (#2SNW)

Sounds like a strange remake of The Gods Must Be Crazy

Cost of removing the lead (Score: 1, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-20 02:20 (#2SMY)

Another challenge for the scientific community: Find a cheap way to remove lead from recycled metals as part of the recovery process

Re: Cost of removing the lead (Score: 2, Informative)

by zafiro17@pipedot.org on 2014-09-20 16:35 (#2SND)

It would have to be dead-simple tech, though. I've spent the past 25 years living in countries (half of that in Africa) where people steal manhole covers, melt them down over charcoal fires, and bang them into cooking pots. Just to point out that the level of tech here needs to be at around the level of people using charcoal as their fuel source.

Re: Cost of removing the lead (Score: 1, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-20 17:56 (#2SNJ)

Then maybe the best bet is to do a trade-in program where people can bring their current cooking pots/pans and get a 1:1 trade for new, safe cookware.