The consequences of lead poisoning are drastically underestimated in terms of public health, maintains a study published this Tuesday, which estimates its magnitude comparable to that of air pollution.
According to this study, published in the journal Lancet Planetary Healthlead pollution was the cause of 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular diseases worldwide in 2019. It has also affected the cognitive abilities of children under five years of age, particularly in developing countries.
To reach these conclusions, the authors, led by two World Bank economists, assessed the level of lead poisoning in the population of numerous countries (183) based on estimates from blood tests. These had been modeled on the Global Burden of Disease, a huge research program that serves as the basis for numerous studies.
They then cross-referenced this data with the expected health consequences of lead poisoning. It causes numerous pathologies, especially in children, while lead can be found in food, dishes, fertilizers, etc.
It is “an interesting job but subject to many uncertainties”
Results of this work: Lead poisoning, which represents a problem as serious as air pollution, is the cause of 30% of deaths from cardiovascular diseases, a level six times higher than current estimates.
However, these results have been received with caution by researchers who consider some methodological options questionable. It’s “interesting work but subject to a lot of uncertainty,” says Roy Harrison, an air pollution expert at the University of Birmingham.
In particular, it emphasizes that it is difficult to reliably assess the extent of lead poisoning among populations in developing countries.
Another question concerns the exact extent to which lead poisoning contributes to cardiovascular disease. However, the study’s impressive results depend largely on the choice of a high-risk factor, according to a study conducted only in the United States.
“If confirmed, (these results) will be important in terms of public health. But as they stand, they only constitute an interesting hypothesis,” concludes Roy Harrison.
Source: BFM TV
