Tendai Franklyn-Brown, Staff Reporter

Jamaica has a long history of lead poisoning. High levels of the neurotoxin material have been reported in isolated areas such as Kintyre, Red Pond and Fraser's Content.

In 2001, the law stipulated that the manufacture of lead in materials such as paint and gasolene was illegal. High levels of lead in the blood of adults can result in infertility. However, it is children who are most at risk as lead can cause serious implications on the development of the nervous system of the foetus, babies and young children. In 2004, the National Safety Council reported that a minimum of 400,000 children under the age of six had significant levels of lead in their blood.

Study

Professor Gerald Lalor, director of the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, has worked tirelessly to source those who have been diagnosed with high levels of lead in their bodies and find ways of prevention. Reducing the effects of lead poisoning can be achieved by ensuring nutrients such as iron, calcium and zinc are in the diet as this will promote strong teeth and bones.

Studies in the Kintyre area proved to be disturbing as Professor Lalor told The Gleaner "the first study we carried out at Kintyre Basic School, they had around 60 children at the school. The school was actually the old factory plant, so the whole schoolyard was full of mine waste. All 60 were poisoned and I presume, and this is just an extrapolation, that every child who attended that school, for however long it has been there, has been lead poisoned."

Illegal smelting

Areas such as Red Pond and Fraser's Content reported high levels of lead due to illegal smelting operations, lead in gasolene and paint. Professor Lalor said, "Trying to dispose of old car batteries contributed to the problem of lead poisoning in the first place, as Tropical gas did this in a recovery plant and people tried to do it themselves."

Professor Lalor is confident that the environment ministry was in the process of devising a programme to assist with the disposing of batteries safely. However, this is difficult to administer as people throw away their batteries. Despite numerous phone calls, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer was unavailable for comment.

Up to 85 per cent of lead acid batteries can be recycled if done professionally, as Tropical Battery, distributors of automotive products, adheres to the strict guidelines set out by the National Environmental Protection Agency and the batteries are exported to signatories of the Basil convention. As part of its social responsibility to Jamaica, Tropical Battery offers a collection and export service and assured The Gleaner that members of thepublic "are welcome to come to any one of our seven stores across the island and deposit your old batteries."

tendai.franklyn-brown@gleanerjm.com