A family in Malambo, Colombia, receives a new mattress from Pure Earth to replace their heavily lead-contaminated mattress.
Country Summary
Pure Earth is working on multiple fronts in Colombia to reduce the prevalence of toxic pollution and the associated human health toll. On a national level, Pure Earth has initiated a Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP) with the government of Colombia. The team hosted meeting in June 2018 with government agencies on prioritizing issues in health and pollution. Pure Earth will provide continued support for implementation of recommended policies and programs, and for proposal drafting after the reports are validated.
In addition to identifying and assessing toxic sites as part of the TSIP initiative, Pure Earth is also conducting pilot cleanups of mercury contamination caused by artisanal gold mining in Colombia. We are also following up with health monitoring to determine the effectiveness of competed lead cleanup, while providing training on the proper way to recycle used lead-acid batteries. The goal is to build capacity to help the country address lead poisoning caused by battery recycling and mercury pollution caused by gold-mining.
Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health- Colombia Summary
Pollution is responsible for 9.0% of deaths in Colombia. Learn more about how pollution affects health and the economy in Colombia by reading the Colombia Summary Report, based on the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health.
Colombia Reports
Project Pages
- Projects in Progress: Health and Pollution Action Plan and Lead and Mercury Projects
- Completed Projects: Protecting Children From Lead Poisoning in Malambo
Blog Posts
Read more about our work in Colombia in The Pollution Blog
- Helping Children Break Free of Lead Poisoning (June 2018)
- Report From Colombia: Investigating Toxic Sites (Jan 2017)
