Lead poisoning epidemics


Lead poisoning epidemics refer to specific instances of mass lead poisoning. These events often occur without the knowledge of the communities they affect. Common causes of lead poisoning epidemics include mining, lead recycling, and food/water contamination. These events also cause disproportionate childhood fatalities as children are more susceptible to lead poisoning than adults.

Notable poisoning events

This list does not include events wherein fewer than 100 people were affected, individual lead paint poisoning cases, or lead poisoning resulting from the consumption of contaminated food or water, such as the Flint water crisis. The cases below are discrete events of mass lead poisonings.
Name of eventYearCountryCity# Tested high*# deathsSource of lead exposureCommentsRef.
Đông Mai2015VietnamĐông Mai1020Auto-battery recyclingOngoing
El Paso/Juarez1974USA/MexicoEl Paso, Texas3910Lead smelterPlant closed
Fiengxiang2009ChinaShaanxi851+0Lead smelter
Hunan2008ChinaHunan1354+0Manganese factory
Jiyuan2009ChinaJiyuan10000Lead smelter99.7% of children poisoned
Doe Run2004PeruLa Oroya100's0Lead smelterPlant closed
Michoacán2009?MexicoMichoacán3110Lead-glazed potteryOngoing
Santo Amaro1985BrazilBahia5550Lead smelter
Thiaroye-sur-Mer2008SenegalThiaroye, Dakar150+18Auto-battery recyclingClosed
Torreón2000MexicoTorreón111810Lead smelter
Zamfara2010NigeriaZamfara1000+163–400Artisanal miningOngoing
Kabwe2013ZambiaKabwe1000+0Lead mining and smelter
Tianshui kindergarten2025ChinaTianshui247+0Food