Outbreak of Fatal Childhood Lead Poisoning Related to Artisanal Gold Mining in Northwestern Nigeria, 2010

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Authors

Carrie Dooyema · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Antonio Neri · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Yi‐Chun Lo · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

James T. Durant · Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Paul I. Dargan · Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Todd D. Swarthout · Médecins Sans Frontières

Oladayo Biya

Abstract

The high levels of environmental contamination, percentage of children < 5 years of age with elevated BLLs (97%, > 45 µg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children before death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore-processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities.

Topics & Keywords

Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity Heavy metals in environment Mercury impact and mitigation studies

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Good health and well-being

Publication Details

Published in: Environmental Health Perspectives

Volume 120, Issue 4, pp. 601-607

DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103965

Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 8.49

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