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UK LEAPP Alliance Update, Dec 2024
LEAPP Alliance
Two emails from Tim Pye, LEAPP Alliance - Lead Exposure and Poisoning Prevention Alliance - A joint
initiative of the Lead Containing Materials Association and Lead Safe World UK, December 2024
To: Supporters of the LEAPP Alliance
There are many opportunities to progress lead poisoning prevention. Most pass by
unrealised. If you are willing and able to help decide which are most useful, and especially if
you are able to progress them, then please let me know.
With very best wishes for Christmas and a lead-safe 2025.
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ILPPWA 2024 - WHO International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action (ILPPWA)
We held an open meeting during ILPPWA 2024. The main parts of the discussion were on
the proposed ban on lead-shot for outdoor use and lead in drinking water. I had hoped we
could identify some specific actions, but we need to work more on this.
Communications
Financial Times
Laura Hughes has continued her series of articles regarding lead hazards from old mines
"England’s environment watchdog told to review risk from lead mines". You may need to
sign-up to their £1 trial to read this article.
Healthy Homes Hub
I have been in contact with Jenny Danson of the Healthy Homes Hub - a new enterprise that
focuses on making housing healthier. Outputs from this are a podcast and an article.
Unchecked UK
I had a useful discussion with Unchecked UK. They focus on maintaining and improving
regulations and the politics of making it happen. I have not taken it forward, but they may be
a route for sharing warnings about lead hazards.
ASIA
ASIA is the Advanced Study Institute of Asia. They are doing a lot of work on lead poisoning
prevention in southern Asia. I presented on the work of the LEAPP Alliance during their
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LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 4 December 2024 Page 53 of 131
ILPPWA 2024 online event.
Ayanay Psychological Accreditation (APA) https://ayanay.co.uk/
I did record an interview with APA, but it does not seem to be on their YouTube channel yet.
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) https://www.rsc.org/
Our article called "Should we still worry about lead" is now ready for publication. There was
an RSC committee meeting recently. I hoped it would be discussed, but I have not heard.
Government
Webpages
New UK Health Security Agency webpages have been published. This release is very
welcome, but I think the content needs some improvement. I am going review the pages and
will feedback to the author.
LEPHIS
The Lead Exposure, Public Health Interventions and Surveillance Steering Group met on
1st October. The minutes are confidential, but I will ask for permission to share some
highlights once some corrections I requested have been included.
LEICSS
The Lead Exposure In Children Surveillance System report on 2023 data has been published.
This is, of course, a passive reporting system when health care professionals recognise the
potential for lead exposure. Some highlights:
• 226 child (under 16 years) cases of blood lead concentration (BLC) above 5
µg Pb/dL blood were reported. This is an 18% increase over 2022
• Again, more cases are reported from Yorkshire and the Humber. (This is
thought to be because clinicians are prompted to recommend a blood lead
test when anaemia is identified.)
• The following sources were identified, in order of prevalence - soil, paint,
imported spices/food, traditional medicines and herbal remedies,
imported utensils, ceramic pottery and pewter
• Most cases exhibited pica and learning difficulties
• Using studies in France and the USA it is estimated that there are 64,780
children aged 1-4 with BLC > 5 µg /dL. (This would equate to 292,000
aged up to 19 - The WHO definition of a child)
• A summary of the West Midlands shooting range incident is included. The
highest BLC was 242 µg/dL. 15 people received chelation therapy
ECLIPS
The Elevated Childhood Lead Interagency Prevalence Study pilot will start in January. I have
been doing pre-work on engaging with community groups in Leeds. I have been told that the
project was chosen as one of only 36 successful applications out of about 900.
HSE Lead Shot
The Health & Safety Executive consultation on the use of lead shot in outdoor shooting
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remains incomplete - according to the HSE Annual Reports and Accounts 2023/24.
DEFRA leaflet
The DEFRA leaflet on decorating safely remains "withdrawn" because it was out of date. Tim
Farron MP asked about this and was "shocked" by the response from DEFRA which was "it is
out of date". I have also asked Greg Smith MP to ask about this.
Water
WaterSafe are campaigning to end the use of lead solder in plumbing which is great.
Water2 are marketing an under-sink water filter. The company is part-owned by Bear Grylls
who produced this video which includes mention of the UNICEF "Toxic Truth" report on lead
exposure (see time point 0:36). We have reached out to them to try to form an affiliation, but
without any response.
I had a very useful conversation about sampling protocols with Dr Colin Hayes whom, I
think, developed, or researched, orthophosphate dosing. The most important think I learned
was that water company testing aims to check that water treatment is working as it should,
i.e. it is about what is under the water companies' control and not what is under the
customer's control. He also explained that testing for lead contamination at the kitchen tap
should be sequential because the lead pipe might be upstream and including in a shared
supply. I therefore do not intend to continue to press the Drinking Water Inspectorate about
sampling protocols.
Social Media
When there is something I think is worth sharing, I continue to post on the following social
media channels:
Facebook
Groups
Lead poisoning support group
UK Lead Safe Mamas
Pages
LEAPP Alliance
Lead Safe World UK
Linked In
Tim Pye
LEAPP Alliance
X/Twitter
LEAPP Alliance (Shared with Lee Crawfurd)
Bluesky
LEAPP Alliance
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Sent: Monday, 30 December 2024
Great article by Laura Hughes in the Financial Times. Online today. Print edition tomorrow.
Several LEAPP Alliance allies are quoted.
'A timebomb’: fears for children being poisoned by lead paint in UK
homes
Lack of routine testing means thousands of youngsters could be suffering
from effects, say experts.
https://www.ft.com/content/e0f09d7f-5f05-4902-8778-c0ee7a13cbcd
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