Sherab Lhamo

The National Blood Lead Level Survey Fact Sheet 2024 has revealed that items in and around households contain lead levels exceeding the threshold of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL).

The research team tested 2,418 items from 67 households, six early childhood care and development centres, and four schools, which revealed an urgent need for  a comprehensive strategy to mitigate lead exposure in the country.

The study revealed that lead content in items such as jinlab (sacred medicinal pills) contained 44.2 percent, 25 percent in aluminium utensils, 36 percent in drinking cups or glasses, 50 percent in brass or metal utensils contained, and 20 percent in spices, exceeding the reference threshold of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL).

Religious items contained a staggering 75.2 percent lead, while latch bolts and doorknobs were found to have 60.7 percent. These, however, require further testing to assess exposure risks fully.

The deputy chief research officer of the Ministry of Health, Mongal Singh Gurung, said the ministry is currently examining the processes and components of jinlab to identify primary sources of lead in it.

The ministry has also integrated lead poisoning prevention curriculum in Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan.

Mongal Singh Gurung said that to reduce lead exposure in the country, the study team recommended establishing a multi-sectoral task force to develop a comprehensive strategy and action plan to combat lead poisoning.

He shared specific measures that have proven effective in developed countries such as conducting leaching tests to better understand the amount of lead released from household and religious items. Encouraging the public to wash hands after handling religious items.

He also shared on needing to regulate the lead content in items imported in the country, as there is currently no system in place for such monitoring.

The survey team is preparing the full report, which would include specific recommendations highlighted in the survey findings, he said.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors and regulates levels of lead in foods. By determining if the level of lead in a food is a potential health concern, the FDA considers the toxicity of lead and potential exposure based on the level of lead measured in the food and estimated consumption. If the agency finds that the level of lead causes the food to be unsafe, they take regulatory action.

The Fact Sheet statistics reveal that three out of four children aged one to six years in Bhutan have elevated blood lead levels exceeding 3.5 μg/dL and monastic children have an average blood lead level of 5.9 µg/dL, with 86 percent of monks under 13 years old exceeding the lead exposure threshold.

Nearly three out of five pregnant mothers—58.9 percent—also show elevated blood lead levels above this critical limit.