Lead (Pb) Levels in Mining Communities: A Threat to Manpower

In 2010 the world attention was drawn as a result of 'unprecedented' death toll (particularly children) due to lead poisoning in the gold mining communities of Zamfara State North - West Nigeria. High concentration of lead was discovered in their blood as a result of small scale illegal gold mining of the lead-rich ore using rudimentary tools. This caused lead pollution that contaminated soil underground and surface water. Among measures taken was the soil remediation; this research was to determine whether lead levels was still significant. For example the Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) in children ranged from 32.20 - 157.60 µg/dL and that of adults ranged from 37.80 - 146.40 µg/dL which exceeded the threshold level of concern for BLL for WHO (10 µg/dL). The results of all the samples analysed including common grains human and animals blood indicated lead levels were still significant (P <0.05). These lead levels are sufficient to cause brain damage in children and affects the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of a child that makes learning difficult due to cognitive defect. Therefore without learning capacity manpower development cannot be achieved among mining communities.