Lead is the most pervasive pollutant found in the Blacksmith Institute’s database and is a well-documented health hazard. The Blacksmith Institute has identified over 500 sites polluted by lead, putting an estimated 16 million people at risk. Based on the Blacksmith Institute’s investigations, the top sources contributing to lead pollution, by population, are lead smelting, mining and ore processing, industrial estates and lead-acid battery recycling and manufacturing. Lead pollution is also found in polluted sites around product manufacturing sites, e-waste recycling and chemical manufacturing sites. In the ., lead is most predominantly used for manufacturing lead-acid batteries. 13 But around the.
