Educational Outreach

by seclpa, posted in Educational Outreach

Dominic Joel Ombati

According to the United Nations environmental program, lead (Pb) is a heavy metal that is toxic even at very low exposure levels and has acute and chronic effects on human health. In the environment, lead (Pb) is also toxic to plants, animals and micro-organisms. Lead (Pb) can originate from human activities (anthropogenic) or from natural sources (geogenic). Lead poisoning occurs when humans especially children are exposed even to low levels of lead (Pb).

Lead (Pb) poisoning is a serious health problem globally and almost every county in United States has a childhood lead (Pb) poisoning prevention program. Studies carried out in Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia found some paints sold for home use containing extremely high lead (Pb) levels of up to 100,000 ppm. These concentrations are several times more than the 90 ppm United Nations recommended limit of lead (Pb) in paint.

Many people know so little or nothing about lead (Pb) poisoning. To create awareness on this health problem, I have developed a digital educational outreach program which has now  more than 10,000 followers living in 23 countries including United States. Most of my audience is from sub-Saharan Africa which has experienced the largest known childhood lead (Pb) poisoning outbreak but with almost no awareness on digital platforms. To the best of my knowledge, this digital program is the largest and first of its kind in addressing childhood lead (Pb) poisoning in sub-Saharan Africa through social media network sites.

My digital educational outreach is through this website which is connected to a Facebook page and group. The Facebook page, group, and this website provide links to free credible information on childhood lead (Pb) poisoning. The Facebook page is connected to Facebook group under different names. The Facebook group and the links below allows you to access free downloadable pdf materials on childhood lead (Pb) poisoning for use and sharing with the goal of reaching as many people as possible.

Links to credible educational materials on childhood lead (Pb) poisoning (Click on the link).

1. California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB).

2. World Health Organization (WHO), Lead Poisoning.

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention.

4. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lead.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention information page is detailed and helpful. Some of the information it contains include the following: (Click on the link).

  1. Primary and secondary lead (Pb) exposure prevention.
  2. Sources of lead (Pb) exposure.
  3. Health effects of lead (Pb) exposure.
  4. Testing children for lead (Pb) poisoning.
  5. Blood lead (Pb) levels in children.
  6. Populations at higher risk of lead (Pb) poisoning.
  7. Frequently asked question about lead (Pb) poisoning.

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lead (Pb) information page has detailed educational materials. Some of the information it contains include the following: (Click on the link).

  1. Basic information about lead (Pb).
  2. How to protect your family from lead (Pb).
  3. Basic information about lead (Pb) in drinking water.
  4. Lead (Pb) air pollution.
  5. Pdfs with lead (Pb) safety documents and outreach materials.

California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB) educational pdf materials are one of the best and most comprehensive. Some of the information they contain include the following: (Click on the link).

  1. Ways to protect your child from lead (Pb).
  2. How to keep a newborn safe from lead (Pb).
  3. How to check for lead (Pb) in and around your home.
  4. Sources of lead (Pb).
  5. How to protect your child from lead (Pb) in paint.
  6. How to protect your child from lead (Pb) in dirt.
  7. How to identify some ceramics and pottery that may contain lead (Pb).
  8. Common folk remedies that contain lead (Pb).
  9. How to protect your child from lead (Pb) in jewelry.
  10. The need to have your child tested for lead (Pb).
  11. How healthy foods can keep your child safe from lead (Pb) poisoning.

World Health Organization (WHO), Lead Poisoning information page includes the following: (Click on the link).

  1. Key facts about lead (Pb).
  2. Sources of lead (Pb) and how people can be exposed to lead (Pb).
  3. Health effects of lead (Pb) in children.

Scientific Research

by seclpa, posted in Scientific Research

Dominic Joel Ombati.

My PhD research in environmental geology is about Fate and Transport of Anthropogenic Lead (Pb) along the Arid Section of Route 66, San Bernardino County, California. Fate and transport research project can be defined as the study of how chemicals degrade and where they travel in the environment when they are released intentionally or unintentionally. Transport is how chemicals move through the air, water and soil and fate is how chemicals change in the environment.

In my study area, anthropogenic lead (Pb) along Route 66 is mainly from leaded gasoline and it was deposited during the leaded gasoline era. Spatial distribution and surface transport mechanism of anthropogenic lead (Pb) along the arid section of Route 66 in San Bernardino County, California is my first PhD research project. Lead (Pb) chemical fractionation along the arid section of Route 66 in San Bernardino County, California is my second PhD research project. My third PhD research project is to develop a digital educational outreach program on childhood lead (Pb) poisoning with a focus on populations at risk of lead (Pb) poisoning in sub-Saharan Africa where the largest known outbreak of  lead (Pb) poisoning in history occurred.

Scientific Research on Lead Poisoning.
   THE LARGEST KNOWN OUTBREAK OF LEAD POISONING IN HISTORY.

The worst documented case of childhood lead (Pb) poisoning outbreak occurred in Zamfara State, Northern Nigeria where about 400 children died and thousands more were disabled in the artisanal gold mining villages (Dooyema et al., 2012; Plumlee et al., 2013). The outbreak was discovered in 2010. Gold ores with lead (Pb) rich veins were mined manually and were transported in household bags to the villages for processing (Plumlee et al., 2013). First stage of ore processing involved breaking down the lead (Pb) rich gold ores manually using hammers followed by manual grinding of the broken ore fragments using household mortars and pestles or mechanical grinding by gasoline-powered flour mills that also were used to grind grains for the villagers (Plumlee et al., 2013). The grinding of lead (Pb) rich gold ores generated large amount of easily inhalable lead (Pb) rich dust.

To concentrate gold particles, ground lead (Pb) rich gold ores were washed with a shower of water at the village water sources and then the concentrates were combined with liquid mercury manually in household cooking pots to form a gold-mercury amalgam which allowed minute pieces of  gold to be extracted when mercury was vaporized (Plumlee et al., 2013). The villagers were significantly exposed to mercury which is also dangerous to human health. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mercury free gold mining techniques for artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM). Older children worked with their family members at the processing and sometimes  processing and storage of lead (Pb) rich gold ores occurred where children played and lived (Plumlee et al., 2013). 

Researchers found that surviving children < 5 years old had Blood Lead Levels (BLL) up to 370 µg/dL (Dooyema et al., 2012). CDC recommends Blood Lead Level (BLL) be < 3.5 µg/dL. Worse off, soils contaminated by washing wastes were used to make bricks for building houses in the villages (Plumlee et al., 2013). There was high lead (Pb) exposure at all stages of gold mining and processing in these artisanal gold mining villages and that is how the worst documented lead (Pb) poisoning disaster occurred. Several agencies responded to this outbreak and the situation has improved but a lot more has to be done to avoid future outbreaks. This digital educational outreach program has made deliberate online efforts to target the affected artisanal gold mining villages in Zamfara State, Nigeria with links to credible digital educational materials on lead (Pb) poisoning.