Mitigating Lead Exposure in India: Lead-Contaminated Spices and Cookware

The Mitigating Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) project seeks to reduce lead exposure in Asia, Africa, and Latin America from exposure sources such as metal and ceramic cookware, adulterated spices, environmentally unsound used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recycling, and cosmetics. The overarching objective is to assist governments and stakeholders in strengthening institutional capacities, programs, and policies to effectively assess, prioritize, and mitigate lead exposure. Project countries include Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Peru, and the Philippines.

In India, the Mitigating Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) project is focused on reducing lead exposure from the exposure sources lead-contaminated cookware and spices.

Source of Exposure: Spices 

Locations: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand

According to IHME estimates, Bihar is the Indian State with the highest average blood lead level (10.42 ug/dL), followed by Uttar Pradesh (8.67 ug/dL), and Jharkhand (8.15 ug/dL). 

Pure Earth and Stanford University have been conducting supply chain analyses and spice adulteration testing since 2020, revealing high concentrations of lead in spices throughout Northern India, including commercial hubs in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. In May 2023, Pure Earth carried out a Rapid Market Screening project in three cities of Uttar Pradesh, showing that 70% of spice samples had elevated levels of lead. Compelling evidence suggests that lead chromate is introduced to turmeric roots by wholesale traders at central markets, and subsequently distributed. 

Project Objective: Reduce spice adulteration in northern India focusing on the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Project Activities: 

1. Set up intergovernmental panels in each State.
2. Conduct research on regulatory landscape and spice supply chain analysis
3. Develop training for authorities and inspectors, supply chain tracking, producer/seller education, consumer education, advocacy at national and State levels.

Source of Exposure: Cookware

Location: Tamil Nadu 

Pure Earth began working in Tamil Nadu in 2018, to pilot the state’s first cleanup of a lead-contaminated site – a community located next to a licensed, sub-standard, polluting

ULAB operation. In 2023, Pure Earth India and local partners assessed 30 lead-contaminated hotspots and selected two cities to conduct home-based assessments as a research activity supported by local entrepreneurs, not a State-owned initiative. Of the 120 children surveyed 85% had BLLs above 5µg/dl. Unlike Bihar, the soil and spice lead levels were not measuring high. However, 57% of cookware and 47% of lead dust samples had high lead levels.

Project Objective: Reduce lead exposure from metal cookware by assessing how, when, where, and why lead is entering cookware in India and working with regulators and producers to identify lead-free solutions.

Expected Outcome: State government and other stakeholders have all necessary information to initiate an institutional response to reduce lead levels in cookware (this need not be a regulation, but could start with a state research program, monitoring, policies, etc.). 

Project Activities: 

1. Dissemination of findings on recent lead contaminated cookware study to key stakeholders in Tamil Nadu
2. Conduct Supply Chain analysis & dissemination of study findings at the state level
3. Conduct Home Based Assessment (HBA) across 7 districts of Tamil Nadu
4. Disseminate results of blood lead surveillance and HBA study to stakeholders across the state.