800 million children around the world, or roughly 1 in 3, have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Drinking water is a primary source of this lead contamination.
When people drink lead-contaminated water, it enters the human body through ingestion, accumulating in bones, teeth, and soft tissues over time. This accumulation can lead to chronic lead poisoning, disrupting physiological processes around the body. Chronic exposure has been linked to cardiovascular, renal, and neurological disorders. The impact of lead on development, especially in children, is profound and long-lasting. Lead exposure can disrupt neurological development, as it can cross the blood-brain barrier and interfere with neurotransmitter function, synapse formation, and neuronal growth. In pregnant women, lead can cross the placental barrier, affecting fetal development and increasing the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and developmental delays.
Lead contamination mainly comes from pipes and fittings that leach lead into the water supply. In water, however, lead is odorless and tasteless, meaning that exposed populations may not even know the risk their water poses.
A new global partnership has formed to address lead as a public health concern, vowing to “work collectively towards preventing lead-leaching from new drinking water systems by 2030 and to make all drinking water lead free by 2040”. Global Lead Free Water envisions a world without lead exposure, one where children in particular are protected.
Spearheaded by the World Health Organization and the governments of Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, participating countries and organizations have pledged to work across public health, government policy, and engineering to protect drinking water systems.
Global Lead Free Water understands the path towards eliminating lead exposure through drinking water is a complicated one. From establishing national water quality standards in line with the WHO’s guideline value of 10ppb to engaging communities in behavior change campaigns, protecting drinking water systems from lead is a long-term effort that requires interdisciplinary expertise and international coordination.
We at Segura unequivocally support this pledge. We were founded with the understanding that reliable, affordable testing services remain a barrier to identifying public health concerns like lead contamination, an understanding echoed in Global Lead Free Water’s pledge. There are over 3 billion people worldwide who drink water whose quality is not regularly tested – for lead among other contaminants. At the end of the day, it is impossible to take remedial action without a clear picture of who is exposed and at what levels. Our test strips and portable readers are meant to address this need, offering an affordable, accurate testing option that can be used - an re-used - in areas where traditional lab services are unavailable. Small enough to be taken anywhere and accurate enough to comply with WHO standards, we hope Segura’s tests help to meet Global Lead Free Water’s goals and support a world without lead-contaminated water.
Commentaires