A recent study conducted by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) has found alarming levels of lead in the blood of nearly 98% of children aged between two and four years in Dhaka.
The comprehensive research, carried out between 2022 and 2024 across various parts of the city, included blood samples from 500 children. Preliminary results reveal that the majority have blood lead concentrations exceeding 35 micrograms per liter, a level considered hazardous to health.
Children living within one kilometer of lead-dependent industrial sites—such as lead-acid battery manufacturing and recycling factories where lead is melted or burned—showed blood lead levels more than 43% higher than those residing farther away.
Other significant sources of lead exposure identified include indoor smoking, contaminated dust particles, lead-containing cosmetics, and cooking utensils.
Dr. Tahmid Ahmed, Executive Director of ICDDR,B, emphasized, “Lead poisoning silently impairs the full development of our children’s brains and causes nutritional deficiencies, jeopardizing the future of Bangladesh.”
The research team urged authorities to take immediate and effective actions to relocate or regulate these industrial sites to reduce lead contamination and protect vulnerable children.