'Silent Epidemic': Nearly 1 In 3 Kids Exposed To Damaging Levels Of Lead
It's the first time global data has been gathered on the extent of the problem. Experts are calling it a "groundbreaking" report. And the ill effects can last for a lifetime.
How many children in the world have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead?
That's a pressing question that has had no definitive answer until now. About 1 in 3 children have been exposed to lead at levels shown to damage their health and cognitive development, according to a groundbreaking report that is the first to document the problem globally.
, produced by UNICEF in partnership with , a global nonprofit that tackles toxic pollution in poor communities, "is the first report of its kind and it's important," says , an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Buffalo who studies the effects of toxic metal exposures in children and was not involved
