THIS CHEMICAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 1.5 MILLION DEATHS

Cookware, paint, toys. Many everyday items may contain lead, a toxic heavy metal responsible for over 1.5 million deaths each year. It poses a particular threat to children and harms biodiversity.

It is a cumulative toxicant particularly hazardous to young children and pregnant women. No safe level of lead exposure has been established. Once taken into the body, lead can cause permanent damage to the neurological and cardiovascular systems.

Exposure can lead to irreversible brain damage, lower IQ, and heart disease.

Source: UN Environment Programme