High Levels of Lead in Children’s Bodies: Pollution Spreading from Cosmetics as Well
In Bangladesh, concerns about lead in the human body have persisted for years, and new findings are making the situation increasingly alarming.
A recent study has revealed that the lead levels in children’s blood in Dhaka are nearly double the safe limit. From 2022 to 2024, the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) studied 500 children aged two to five. Nearly 98% of these children had dangerously high blood lead levels.
UNICEF’s 2024 data indicates that over 35 million children in the country have dangerously high blood lead levels, making it one of the highest rates globally.
This is concerning because international standards allow a tolerable lead limit only for adults, while no level of lead is safe for children. Once lead enters the bloodstream, it accumulates in bones, the brain, and other organs, causing lasting harm to children’s development and learning abilities.
The sources of contamination are varied. Recent observations highlight that unregulated cosmetics and beauty products are major contributors to pollution, alongside battery factories, industrial waste, old paints, and contaminated water. If such low-quality, cheaply made products contain lead, it can easily enter children’s bodies through daily exposure. Children in both urban and rural areas often unintentionally come into contact with their mother’s lipstick, indoor, or face powder, complicating the issue further.
This is not merely a public health crisis but also one with long-term economic consequences. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that lead pollution results in a global economic loss of nearly 976 billion US dollars each year.
For Bangladesh, this could slow the nation’s development by reducing future productivity, hindering educational attainment, and increasing healthcare costs.
Addressing this situation requires immediate and coordinated action. To stop the lead contamination crisis, we must identify and regulate its sources, manage industrial waste properly, control cosmetic ingredients, conduct regular health screenings, and raise awareness at all levels. Every delay leaves a lasting impact on the next generation—one that will become increasingly difficult to reverse over time.
