About Pure Earth Indonesia

Lead exposure is a significant environmental health threat to children in Indonesia. It is estimated that more than 36 million children (age 0 – 14 years) in the country have blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 5 µg/dL (Ericson et al., 2021). A recent study in the capital, Jakarta, found that 47% of children had BLLs ≥ 5 µg/dL and 9% had BLLs ≥ 10 µg/dL (Prihartono et al., 2019). Other studies have similarly documented long-term chronic health conditions faced by children in Indonesia exposed to lead regularly. A multi-country analysis further found that childhood exposure to lead costs the Indonesian economy nearly US$38 billion annually.

With over 200,000 Indonesians dying yearly from pollution-related diseases (IHME 2017), pollution has a huge health cost in Indonesia. There are many sources of contamination, from informal ULAB recycling operations to artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Pure Earth International provides financial and technical support to a local foundation named Yayasan Pure Earth Indonesia to carry out work in Indonesia, focuses on identifying where the worst pollution is through our TSIP initiative, and then implementing solutions where possible. From awareness-raising about mercury hazards and training women miners on mercury-free techniques to remediating a lead-contaminated soccer field where children play, Pure Earth is working in communities to improve the health and well-being of children and families. Additionally, Pure Earth has supported regional governments and a local NGO named Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta in Kalimantan, Indonesia, to develop and implement a Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP).

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TBA

Read more about our work in Indonesia:

• Breaking the Cycle of Extreme Lead Poisoning in Pesarean, Indonesia (May 2016)
• Notes From the Field: Testing a Playground, School, and Homes for Toxic Lead (Sept 2016)
• (VIDEO) Indonesian Gold Miners May Have Found a Key To Reducing Mercury Emissions (June 2015)
• Wishing for a Soccer Field That Does Not Poison (Aug 2013)
• Pollution Cleanup Gets Serious in Indonesia (July 2013)
• Indonesia Projects- Social Media Posts