Recycled aluminium cooking pots: a growing public health concern in poorly resourced countries
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Recycled aluminium cooking pots: a growing public health concern in poorly resourced countries Angela Mathee1,2,3*
and Renée Street1,2,4
Abstract Lead exposure remains a significant public health problem, particularly in the informal sector. Recycling of scrap metal into artisanal pots is a growing concern in poorly resourced countries. Owing to the relatively light weight and low cost of the artisanal pots, as well as good conductivity which equates to lower usage of wood fuel, the pots are widely used. The aim of this article is to describe current insights and emerging evidence of health risks associated with artisanal pot making and usage. This thriving industry, particularly in poorly resourced communities, has multifaceted occupational, environmental and human health impacts. Given the complexity, innovative solutions need to be prioritized, evaluated and scaled up in relevant settings. Keywords: Artisanal, Cookware, Aluminium, Lead, Exposure, Pots, Cottage industry, Informal
Background For decades lead exposure and poisoning have been considered high priority environmental health concerns in countries around the world. A recent study on four foodborne metals, namely mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium, revealed that ingestion of these metals resulted in more than one million cases of ill health and more than 56,000 deaths. Of the cases of illness caused by these four metals, over half (54%) were due to lead, 22 and 20% from methylmercury and arsenic respectively and 1% from cadmium [1]. The growing body of evidence on the harms caused by lead, especially in children, sparked major protective interventions, predominantly in well-resourced countries. Similar lead poisoning prevention actions have been lagging in developing countries, despite lead exposure widely being regarded as more pervasive and serious in these settings. Of * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Environment & Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg, South Africa 2 Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
particular concern has been the extent of lead exposure emanating from the informal sector in developing countries, presenting public health and economic challenges that are particularly insidious and unyielding to environmental health action. Cottage industries are a group of informal income generating activities, mostly at individual, family or small group level, that take place within the home environment [2], such as electrical repairs, motor vehicle repairs, spray painting and artisanal pot making, many of which are associated with lead exposure. A particular concern with lead exposure from cottage industries is the potential for all family or household members to be exposed on a chronic basis [2]. The contribution of lead exposure, and the concomitant illnesses and burden of mortality, from cottage industry exposure as well as the
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