Lead Exposure Affects One in Three Children Worldwide
Pure Earth’s Drew McCartor argues that lead poisoning remains a global public-health crisis, exposing more than a billion children and causing damage that cannot be reversed once it reaches a developing brain. His proposed response is straightforward: governments should measure children’s exposure, identify the main local sources, then regulate, enforce and clean them up. He points to Georgia, where action on lead-contaminated spices cut levels in the hardest-hit regions by 75 percent, as evidence that the model can work.
TED·Jul 23, 2026·5 min read