POLLUTION BLOG

[caption id="attachment_32284" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Ahmad Safrudin memberi tanggapan pada sebuah acara. Sumber: Yayasan Pure Earth Indonesia.[/caption] “Jika semua pihak—pemerintah, pelaku usaha, masyarakat—konsisten menjalankan peran, tugas, dan tanggung jawabnya, maka tidak ada isu pencemaran lingkungan,” tutur Ahmad Safrudin, Direktur Eksekutif Komite...

This is the third year of the Strengthening Health Systems to Reduce Lead Exposure project, which is designing and implementing programs that identify, monitor, and reduce childhood lead exposure. Since 2023, Pure Earth, Vital Strategies, and local project partners have been...

Fariha glows with joy as she receives the Lead Champion Award from Pure Earth Bangladesh. The recognition marks more than just personal courage—it represents a real turning point in Bangladesh's fight against one of its most pressing environmental crises. Her...

  The delegation at GreenAd formal recycling center.  Agbogbloshie, one of West Africa’s largest electronic waste sites, processes an estimated 150,000 tons of discarded electronics each year, much of it through open burning and informal recycling. Studies have shown that...

“No hay nivel seguro: actuemos ya para erradicar la exposición al plomo” Del 19 al 25 de octubre de 2025, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) impulsa la Semana Internacional de Prevención de la Intoxicación por Plomo, bajo el...

Pure Earth ha lanzado un nuevo Fondo de Oportunidades para apoyar proyectos estratégicos y de corto plazo dirigidos a la intoxicación por plomo en países de ingresos bajos y medianos. El fondo ampliará el trabajo de la Iniciativa de Prevención...

Pure Earth Ghana , in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), has completed a study assessing the presence of mercury and other heavy metals in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities in Ghana. The assessment, funded by the Foreign,...

Pure Earth has launched a new Opportunity Fund to support strategic, short-term projects targeting lead poisoning in low- and middle-income countries. The fund will expand on the work of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative, a partnership between Pure...

Pure Earth’s Innovation Lab team recently published a comprehensive literature review on the sources of lead poisoning in the journal of Science of the Total Environment, with support from co-authors Bjorn Larsen, Howard Hu and Bruce Lanphear. Available here. This...

After months of extensive preparation, the first phase of blood lead surveillance (BLS) pilot in Indonesia, as part of the Strengthening Health Systems to Reduce Lead Exposure project, has officially begun. The BLS pilot, initiated by Yayasan Pure Earth Indonesia...

In 2024, Pure Earth advanced efforts to elevate awareness of lead poisoning and drive government response through our Global Lead Program. The program measures progress across five key outcomes and related indicators. This blog series will highlight our 2024 results...

Como parte de una investigación nacional para identificar fuentes de exposición al plomo en utensilios de cocina, el equipo técnico de Pure Earth Colombia visitó el municipio de Ráquira, Boyacá, uno de los principales centros de producción artesanal de cerámica...

The Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services’ (CEOSS) Local Development Unit (LDU), in cooperation with Pure Earth, organized a conference for the launch of phase 2 of the “Protection of Women and Children from Impacts of Lead Poisoning” project. The...

We are pleased to share our new report, Global Lead Program: 2024 Results and Achievements, which details the activities and accomplishments of Pure Earth's global, collective effort to reduce lead poisoning. The report also includes an annex listing key milestones achieved...

KLIK DI SINI untuk membaca artikel dalam Bahasa Indonesia. Hendricus Andy Simarmata, the Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Regional and Urban Planners (IAP), observes that there has long been a dichotomy between environmental and economic activities. Environmental recovery is...

At Pure Earth, we are dedicated to solving the global childhood lead poisoning crisis and ensuring healthier environments for all. Lead exposure is a silent threat that harms millions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where unregulated industries, contaminated consumer...

A wave of international media coverage has brought necessary attention to the lead poisoning crisis in Bangladesh, where 36 million children are estimated to have elevated blood lead levels. A powerful report from Agence-France Presse (AFP) details how the unregulated...

CLICK HERE to read the article in English. Ketua Umum Ikatan Ahli Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota (IAP) Indonesia, Hendricus Andy Simarmata, menilai bahwa selama ini ada dikotomi antara aktivitas lingkungan dan ekonomi. Pemulihan lingkungan cenderung dilihat sebagai sebuah beban finansial....

La exposición al plomo es un problema significativo de salud pública mundial, con impactos graves en la salud infantil, especialmente en el desarrollo cognitivo y el comportamiento. Se estima que más de medio millón de niños tienen niveles de plomo...

In January, Pure Earth Philippines Country Director Larah Ortega-Ibañez participated in a webinar hosted by the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, providing practical guidance on how to conduct an environmental lead exposure risk assessment.  The session explored strategies for risk...

In a significant milestone towards addressing lead contamination in Bangladesh, Pure Earth Bangladesh, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and the Department of Environment (DoE) have signed a tri-party Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) titled "Collaboration to Enhance...

Pure Earth is pleased to announce the launch of a new program, “Mitigating Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries,” being implemented in Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Peru, and the Philippines. Support for this program comes from a generous...

A California regulation went into effect this month that marks a significant milestone in preventing infant exposure to heavy metals. The new regulation requires manufacturers to disclose heavy metal levels in baby food. This regulation is part of the California...

In December, Pure Earth released new and updated technical guidelines and protocols on mitigating lead and mercury exposure, which draw on our 25 years of expertise in assessing and preventing exposure to toxic pollution. The protocols are based on our...

KLIK DI SINI untuk membaca artikel dalam Bahasa Indonesia. For Muchtar Mawardi, Head of the Environmental Agency (DLH) of Tegal Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, addressing pollution—especially lead contamination—is a major challenge that requires contributions from multiple parties. Under his leadership,...

The implementation of the first phase of blood lead surveillance (BLS) piloting in Indonesia, as part of the Strengthening Health Systems to Reduce Lead Exposure project, has reached a significant milestone. Following extensive preparations since April 2024—including numerous technical meetings...

CLICK HERE to read the article in English. Bagi Muchtar Mawardi, SKM., M.Kes., Kepala Dinas Lingkungan Hidup (DLH) Kabupaten Tegal, persoalan penanganan pencemaran, khususnya timbal, merupakan permasalahan besar yang memerlukan kontribusi banyak pihak. Di bawah kepemimpinannya, DLH Kabupaten Tegal melakukan...

In partnership with Pure Earth Philippines, Valenzuela City launched its first Blood Lead Level (BLL) screening program in September 2024, focusing on children with disabilities. This was the first city-led BLL screening and first screening for a particular sector, children with...

In April 2024, a global Pure Earth study, "Rapid Market Screening to assess lead concentrations in consumer products across 25 low- and middle-income countries" published in Scientific Reports revealed elevated levels of lead in 12% of cosmetic samples. Two traditional...

As part of the Strengthening Health Systems to Reduce Lead Exposure project, specialists from the National Institute of Public Health under the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic are being trained in the use of modern Leadcare 2 equipment,...

CLICK HERE to read the article in English. Penerapan program kesehatan kerja di Indonesia masih menghadapi berbagai tantangan. Tantangan terbesar menurut dr. Ade Mutiara, MKK, SpOk, praktisi Kesehatan dan Keselamatan Kerja (K3), adalah bagaimana meyakinkan manajemen perusahaan bahwa kesehatan kerja...

Pic 1: Shelves with metal cookware in Chennai, Tamil Nadu market Lead contamination in consumer products is a serious health risk, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where it often goes unnoticed. A recent Pure Earth study, which conducted...

WHAT IS LEAD? Lead is a naturally occurring chemical element denoted with the symbol Pb derived from its Latin name plumbum. It has an atomic number of 82 and weight of 207.2. With its relatively lightweight, lead stayed in the...

APA ITU TIMBAL? Timbal adalah elemen kimia yang banyak ditemukan di alam. Elemen ini memiliki simbol Pb yang berasal dari nama Latin plumbum. Timbal memiliki angka atom 82 dan berbobot 207,2. Karena beratnya yang relatif ringan, timbal bertahan di kerak...

This has been an unprecedented week for Pure Earth, and all organizations across the globe working to solve the childhood lead poisoning crisis.  Pure Earth Founder, Rich Fuller and Executive Director, Drew McCartor were in attendance September 23rd at the...

Watch the video: Transforming Battery Recycling: Protecting Future Generations. Childhood lead poisoning is a global crisis, affecting 1 in 3 children worldwide and leading to learning disabilities, intellectual impairments, and reduced quality of life. The widespread presence of lead in...

Yayasan Pure Earth Indonesia Educational Materials Translated From Bahasa   Lead is highly toxic due to its ability to interfere with various biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels. Here are several reasons why lead is particularly harmful to...

KENAPA PAPARAN TIMBAL SANGAT BERBAHAYA? Timbal sangat beracun karena kemampuannya mengganggu berbagai proses biologis pada tingkat sel dan molekuler. Berikut beberapa alasan mengapa timbal sangat berbahaya bagi kesehatan manusia: Menyusup ke proses biologis penting Timbal dapat meniru kalsium dan seng,...

As an advocate deeply entrenched in the fight against lead poisoning, I had the distinct honor of attending the recent international convening titled “Lead Poisoning in India: Status, Challenges, and Way Forward,” organized by the Pahle India Foundation, knowledge partner...

Read: Govt Announcement India’s recycling industry is poised for a seismic shift. The 54th GST Council meeting on September 9, 2024, introduced landmark announcements aimed at formalizing the scrap metal sector/battery recycling, including Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) and 2% Tax...

As part of Pure Earth’s advocacy campaign, we engaged the students at the University of Ghana, Department of Earth Science (Ghana Institute of Geoscience) to empower the youth to combat lead pollution and poisoning. Pure Earth Ghana with the University...

With support from the Tauw Foundation, Pure Earth joined Tauw, Lumetallix, and the Vellore Institute of Technology  to test a variety of lead detection methods appropriate for under-resourced communities.  The research was conducted at multiple toxic sites around Vellore in...

A lot has changed since Australian environmental engineer Richard Fuller founded Pure Earth in 1999, then called Blacksmith Institute. What began as a small organization cleaning up sites contaminated with toxic pollution has morphed into a global pioneer of pollution...

Pure Earth was invited to present on our work addressing lead exposure at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva this week. The World Health Assembly (WHA) brings together delegates from all 194 member states of the World Health Organization...

Lead was found in 18% of the most consumed foods by the Mexican population, including products such as rice, wheat, soy, pepper, guajillo chili, processed meats, and baby food. Researchers from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, the National Institute of...

Unveiling Lead in Consumer Products in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: New Peer-Reviewed Research Updated: April 29, 2024 At the World Economic Forum in January 2024, USAID Administrator Samantha Power highlighted lead poisoning as a top USAID priority, urging world leaders...

CLICK HERE to read the article in English. Selama puluhan tahun, Desa Pesarean, di Kabupaten Tegal, Provinsi Jawa Tengah, Indonesia, terkontaminasi timbel. Lebih dari 18.000 ton aki bekas (Used Lead Acid Batteries / ULAB) dan limbah peleburan logam dibuang di...

KLIK DI SINI untuk membaca artikel dalam Bahasa Indonesia. For decades, Pesarean Village in Tegal Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia, has been contaminated with lead. More than 18,000 tons of Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULAB) and metal smelting waste were...

Following USAID Administrator Samantha Power’s call for lead-free futures at DAVOS in January of this year, Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator of USAID Global Health, met with the Philippines’ National Poison Management and Control Center (NPMCC) and Pure Earth Philippines to...

Mencegah dan mengurangi dampak buruk pajanan timbel yang berbahaya bagi lingkungan dan kesehatan terutama bagi anak-anak merupakan komitmen yang terus dijaga oleh Yayasan Pure Earth (PE) Indonesia. Komitmen ini termasuk untuk terus melakukan intervensi dalam upaya penelitian, intervensi teknis, rekomendasi...

Preventing and reducing the adverse effects of lead exposure that is harmful to the environment and health, especially for children, is a commitment that Yayasan Pure Earth (PE) Indonesia continues to maintain. This commitment includes continuing to intervene in research...

In a policy briefing at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, took a leadership position in a panel discussion exploring the question – What can be done to unlock the biggest opportunities to drive...

During this year's ILPPW campaign, Pure Earth Bangladesh focused on enhancing the visibility of Pure Earth Bangladesh’s grassroots initiatives and underscoring evidence-based solutions through an online campaign and a photography exhibition.  On October 25, 2023, in collaboration with the Department...

Pure Earth teams around the world joined WHO and dozens of other organizations in marking the 11th year of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) galvanizing efforts around this year’s theme, “End Childhood Lead Poisoning”. The WHO expanded the list...

New studies reveal devastating new data on lead pollution in Bangladesh, the fourth most lead pollution-impacted country in the world. Learn more in this post by Mitali Das, Communications Lead, and Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Senior Communications Manager, Pure Earth Bangladesh. ...

Written By: Sandeep Dahiya, Director Advocacy and Communications, Pure Earth India This July, Pure Earth, the Institute of Environment and Eco-Development (IEED), Vital Strategies and  Mahavir Cancer Institute and Research Center convened a half-day, high-level conference “Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence...

In a historic move to protect the health of Ghana’s children, Pure Earth, Blacksmith Initiative, alongside UNICEF and the Ghana Health Service, has signed a Declaration of National Action against Lead Poisoning. This crucial step was announced on 24th August...

Learn more about how we are building support for action on lead poisoning in Bangladesh in this report from Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Senior Communications Manager, Pure Earth Bangladesh. [caption id="attachment_23810" align="alignnone" width="599"] Organizers and presenters with special guests, chair, and...

Pure Earth Bangladesh plans to protect their country's future by accelerating nationwide awareness through the inclusion of lead pollution into the national curriculum. Learn more in this post from Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Senior Communications Manager, Pure Earth Bangladesh. Protecting Our...

"One in 36 Million" is the story of one boy, who is just one out of 36 million children living with lead poisoning in Bangladesh. The lesson of the film is that we have solutions. Help us tell this young...

Esmond Quansah, Pure Earth Ghana's Country Director, highlights the pollution problems facing his country, and how his team is working to fix it. Learn more about our work in Ghana  and follow Pure Earth Ghana on social media:  Instagram, Twitter,...

Rodrigo Velarde, Pure Earth's new Country Manager for Peru, shares an update on his team's work in developing responsible solutions to mitigate pollution, and achieving recognition in the Latin American region for its work to create the first mercury-free gold...

This report is from Sandeep Dahiya, Pure Earth India's Director of Advocacy and Communications. A high-level roundtable, "A World Free of Lead Poisoning," convened on Tuesday, 25th April 2023, in New Delhi, India, by the Center for Global Development, in...

In this spotlight, Agustín Gama, Pure Earth’s new Country Director for Mexico, shares an update on the work of our team in Mexico.  Visit the Pure Earth Mexico page to learn more. For Spanish-language access, visit the project website barroaprobado.org...

Update: "One in 36 Million," produced by Pure Earth Bangladesh, has emerged as the winner of the Grand Prix prize at the World Health Organization's (WHO) Health For All film festival. The film, directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Arifur Rahman and...

In this spotlight, Lizeth Olaya Zambrano, Pure Earth’s new Country Director for Colombia, shares an update on the work of our team in Colombia. Their recent accomplishments include winning one of the top prizes in a global competition to conserve...

In this spotlight, Pure Earth’s Country Director for Bangladesh, Dr. Mahfuzar Rahman, and Pure Earth Bangladesh Communications Lead, Mitali Das, share updates about the team's efforts to mitigate lead pollution in Bangladesh. Follow and stay updated on Pure Earth Bangladesh...

To learn more about the issue, access resources and watch a recording of our EARTH DAY Dialogue "Heavy Metals In Our Food: Understanding Risks and Moving Towards Solutions," with experts from Pure Earth, Consumer Reports, the NYC Department of Health...

In 2021, Pure Earth launched an ambitious project to analyze the lead (Pb) content in thousands of consumer products in markets across 25 low- and middle-income countries. This project, the Rapid Market Screening (RMS),  is the first analysis of its...

2022 was a year of growth. Pure Earth programs doubled in size, enabling us to expand our focus on lead and mercury in the most impacted countries. As a result of this expansion, long-time Pure Earth officer Drew McCartor, who...

This report from the field by Pure Earth program officer Lavanya Nambiar shares updates about how our work is improving  lives in a village in Bangladesh .  In Mirzapur, a small village on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka,...

Join us on a walk through a community in Vellore with Sandeep Dahiya, Pure Earth India's Director of Strategic Communications.  The people of Rangapuram, Vellore, India, are busy, have less educational opportunities, and are not very  aware of lead exposure...

Sandeep Dahiya, Pure Earth India’s Director of Strategic Communications, reports on this important meeting on childhood lead poisoning. Pure Earth India, in collaboration with TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute, organized a seminar on “Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence in...

Globally, one in three children –up to 800 million–have blood lead levels that are higher than deemed safe by the World Health Organization. Despite clear evidence of harm, many countries do not have sufficient capacity to monitor or regulate lead...

On October 20, just days before we launched our global outreach for International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW), we received word that Pure Earth President Richard Fuller was being recognized as one of Vox's Future Perfect 50, honoring individuals building a more perfect future. In...

Lead poisoning in Mexico is an urgent health problem that can cause brain damage,  IQ loss, and other developmental delays especially in children who eat food prepared and served in lead-glazed pottery. Despite the fact that almost half of all...

The Pure Earth Club is a school club comprised of students who are being taught and nurtured to love their environment and to protect it through the reduction of pollution, not only by words but by action. They are supervised...

Pure Earth reached several milestones in 2021, including critical recognition as the most effective organization working today to solve the global childhood lead poisoning crisis! We are especially proud of this as it reflects the hard work put in by the...

Why are women's circles important? Because as women, we spend our time caring for others. We take care of men, the elderly, children, but sometimes we forget to also take care of ourselves. Women's circles are important because historically, those...

In May 2018, Pure Earth held a lead-free workshop for nine potters in Maragogipinho, Brazil. This was an important first step in helping a community, where some residents had blood lead levels as much as 15 times above the EPA’s level...

[caption id="attachment_4283" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Children in Indonesia play on lead smelting dump site in the middle of their village.[/caption] An important new paper from Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a member of the Pure Earth Leadership Council, and a Commissioner on The Lancet Commission on...

Jack measuring toxic soil with Olympus XRF, Photo by Larry C. Price Q & A with Dr. Jack Caravanos, Pure Earth’s Director of Research Jack traveled to Kabwe, Zambia, last month with The Guardian environment editor Damian Carrington and Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist...

Program ”Penguatan Sistem Kesehatan untuk Mengurangi Paparan Timbel" di Indonesia Bagi organisasi nirlaba, kolaborasi sangat penting dalam mencapai tujuan organisasi dan menciptakan dampak positif bagi masyarakat. Selain itu, sinergi dapat membuat upaya gabungan bisa mencapai hasil yang lebih baik. Pure...

KLIK DI SINI untuk membaca artikel dalam Bahasa Indonesia. “The Strengthening Health System to Reduce Lead Exposure” Program in Indonesia For non-profit organizations, collaboration is crucial in reaching organizational goals and creating a positive impact on the communities. In addition,...

This week's post is from Angela Bernhardt, Executive Director of Communications for Pure Earth. After two and a half years in our New York headquarters, I took my first trip to the field with our Southeast Asia coordinator, Lara Crampe....

AN URGENT CALL IN THE NIGHT Earlier this year, Sandra Gualtero, Pure Earth's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, received a late-night email labelled “URGENT.” It was from a nurse in Mexico who had just discovered a newborn baby with...

“I am impressed with what has been done... and this comes as a relief not only to the people of Chowa, but the entire Kabwe population. We believe that when this project is completed, more lives will be safeguarded."  --...

[Read a version of this story in Spanish.] At this year's Festival Internacional Cervantino, one of the most important arts and cultural events in Latin America, a dinner designed to showcase the culinary culture of Morelos state became a milestone in the fight against...

[caption id="attachment_16120" align="alignnone" width="300"] Instant Noodles by kattebelletje[/caption] Earlier this month, there was a lead poisoning scare involving a brand of instant noodles manufactured in India. The company promptly pulled the product and samples were sent to the Maharashtra Food...

 "At the hospital, he looked fine but behaved like he was losing his mind... In the evening of the same day, his fever became severe. He was restless. He later started jerking seriously with his eyes turning, and that was how...

Facts About Lead Poisoning and Pollution: There is no known safe level of lead exposure. The CDC lowered the level of concern from 10 to 5 µg/dL (micrograms /deciliter) as the point at which to trigger public health actions. In the...

[caption id="attachment_3044" align="alignnone" width="640"] The media turned out in force to help us launch "Barro Aprobado" and spread awareness about lead-free pottery in Mexico.[/caption] Across Mexico every day, millions of meals served in homes and restaurants come with an extra,...

Up to 20% of Mexicans have elevated blood level levels. This is from the use of traditional Mexican pottery---the colorful plates, pots and other wares that you see in almost every home and restaurant in the country. Traditional Mexican pottery has been...

[caption id="attachment_20195" align="alignnone" width="650"] Seynabou and her grandson in November 2021.[/caption] Seynabou had ten children, but lost five of them.  One by one, each of her five youngest children fell ill with the same symptoms — seizures and convulsions. One by one,...

  Sarita Gupta, Blacksmith's India director, contributes this post from India.       The fabled land of Rajasthan is known, among other things, for its vividly colored clothing. So when the opportunity came to travel for work to Jaipur, I...

Next month, Blacksmith returns to Senegal to provide livelihood training to women so that they will not have to go back to the dangerous job of backyard battery recycling--the activity that triggered the tragic lead poisoning outbreak in 2008 that killed 32 children in Thiaroye...

In 1991, the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico was found to have high lead levels in her blood. It launched an outcry on both sides of the border against the use of toxic lead glazes in Mexican pottery,...

The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) has released a technical guide focused on the containment of lead, one of the world's worst pollutants. It is the first in a planned series of guides on best practices in global...

Reporting in before the holiday break, John Keith, Blacksmith Institute’s on-scene project manager at the Zamfara, Nigeria, lead contamination remediation project, says landfills have been construction at all five villages in the original project scope and clean soil brought to...

Lead expert Jack Caravanos conducts a simple blood test for lead A few days ago, we held our special Earth Day event-- "Get the Lead Out"--at Rockefeller Plaza in NYC to raise funds and awareness of lead pollution and poisoning...

This week, I will hand this space off to Jack Caravanos, a member of Blacksmith's Technical Advisory Board and a leading expert in lead pollution/contamination. Jack is part of part of a project in Ghana jointly funded by Blacksmith and...