However, consumer products, traditional remedies and teas, are also important sources of lead in countries with developing economies.
Lead can be recycled an indefinite number of times and the final recycled product is indistinguishable from lead produced from ore. In the United States, approximately 70% of lead is derived from recycled materials and 80% of the lead produced either by recycling or by mining is used in lead acid batteries. Some of these batteries are shipped overseas and end up being recycled in small scale facilities. Informal lead-smelting operations are often conducted at or near the home and can be a source of lead exposure for nearby residents. Informal lead smelting has been described in the scientific literature for decades. Reports of backyard smelters as a cause of lead poisoning continue worldwide. These can be especially dangerous to workers’ families and neighbors because the work areas rarely have proper ventilation or control of toxic release. In the neighborhoods outside Jakarta Indonesia it is reported that 300,000 Tons of lead acid batteries are recycled each year under these primitive conditions. Battery recycling has been implicated in lead poisoning in Vietnam, Senegal, Kosovo and the Pacific Rim nations. In addition, consumer products made of or decorated with recycled lead find their way into international markets including the United States.
The United States has successfully reduced blood lead levels in children by controlling or eliminating environmental sources of lead. The knowledge and skills to address the international issues exists. However, there is a crucial need for leadership in the area to disseminate information, provide low technology solutions that both support economic development and health and safety, and create capacity within countries.