The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Driving home the message on the dangers of lead poisoning

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Wednesday, Sep 03, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Driving home the message on the dangers of lead poisoning

Deepika Arwind

Bangalore: With each passing year, awareness about the lead content in the paint used on Ganesha idols seems to be increasing and this year is no different.

According to C. Ananth, Head of the Department of Chemistry, MES College, 10 per cent of those who buy Ganesha idols buy eco-Ganeshas.

The immersion of the idols causes the lead content in water to increase, which is already a problem in water bodies in Bangalore, says Prof. Ananth. An eco-Ganesha campaign has been launched by the Crafts Council of India, National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning Prevention in India (NRCLPI) and MES College has received a fairly encouraging response. In the minor research project MES College is carrying out for the NRCLPI, certain preliminary results have emerged.

According to the World Health Organisation, 15 parts per billion (ppb) is the permissible amount of lead content in water. In Sankey Tank, where a minimum of 25,000 to 30,000 idols are immersed each year, 30 ppb of lead is already present.

Infection of the lungs, skin and eyes, and a consistent debilitation of underwater life forms are some of the immediate effects of lead poisoning. “Craftspersons working with paint containing lead are also exposed to the harmful effects of lead,” says N. Sashidhara, Convenor, Eco-Ganesha, Crafts Council of Karnataka and NRCLPI.

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