Regional Lead Exposure Webinars

For International Lead Poisoning Prevention Month 2021, GAHP hosted a series of three regional webinars that delve into the myriad sources of lead exposure, such as unsafe and substandard lead acid battery recycling, e-waste, lead-glazed pottery, lead-contaminated spices, and leaded paint, in Latin America, South Asia, and Africa.

Experts, researchers, scientists, and doctors shared their knowledge, as well as discuss strategies to develop and implement solutions to lead poisoning.

Keep scrolling for more information and to watch recordings of the webinars.

This event is supported by Protecting Every Child’s Potential (PECP), an initiative launched by Clarios Foundation, Pure Earth and UNICEF to end childhood lead exposure by mobilizing resources from the public and private sector.

The event will be moderated by Rachael Kupka, Acting Executive Director of the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution.

Speakers include:

• Promila Sharma, Country Director, Pure Earth India
• Dr. Paromita Hore, Director, Environmental Exposure Assessment and Education, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Lead and Project Coordinator, International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b)
• Lesley Onyon, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization

This event is supported by Protecting Every Child’s Potential (PECP), an initiative launched by Clarios Foundation, Pure Earth and UNICEF to end childhood lead exposure by mobilizing resources from the public and private sector.

Exposición al plomo en América Latina

GAHP se enorgullece de anunciar la exposición al plomo en América Latina, un seminario web para el Mes internacional de prevención del envenenamiento por plomo. El evento virtual brindará información de expertos sobre el estado actual del conocimiento sobre los niveles de plomo en sangre, las principales fuentes de exposición y el marco regulatorio en América Latina y el Caribe.

Este evento cuenta con el apoyo de Protecting Every Child’s Potential (PECP), una iniciativa lanzada por la Fundación Clarios, Pure Earth y UNICEF para poner fin a la exposición infantil al plomo mediante la movilización de recursos del sector público y privado. Los objetivos de la sesión son compartir y debatir los conocimientos actuales sobre los niveles de plomo en sangre en América Latina, las principales fuentes identificadas de exposición al plomo y las oportunidades para integrar la vigilancia epidemiológica e intervenciones eficientes en los sistemas nacionales de salud.

El seminario web está moderado por Vilma Morales, Directora de Control de la Contaminación y Sustancias Químicas, Ministerio del Ambiente, Perú.

Los ponentes incluyen:

• Dra. Mara Téllez Rojo, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, México
• Dra. Amalia Laborde, Unidad de a Toxicología Ambiental y Laboral, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
• Dra. Elda Cargnel, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Daniel Estrada, Director Oficina de México, Pure Earth
• Judith Torres, Ministerio de Ambiente, Uruguay
• Marie-Noël Bruné Drisse, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization

Pollution Info Sessions – Education on problems and solutions

Pollution Info Sessions Series Features Global Experts Offering Solutions

GAHP’s Pollution Info Sessions is a series of 30-minute educational interactions in which experts from around the globe present technical solutions to pollution problems, followed by a Q&A.

Watch Past Info Sessions

Where are people being affected by hazardous waste? Using the Toxic Sites Identification Program and Database for Planning and Programming.

Thur, May 10, 2018 8:00 AM EST (New York time)
Presenter: Mr. Bret Ericson

Chemicals and toxic pollutants in the environment affect millions of people each year in low- and middle-income countries. Without proper containment or public health interventions, these pollutants pose long-term problems to both the environment and people living in contaminated communities.The Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP), funded by the European Commission, USAID, UNIDO, the World Bank, Green Cross Switzerland and others, works to locate and assess contaminated sites in low- and middle-income countries and identify those that pose the greatest threat to human health. Join us for a short presentation about this resource, its online, publicly accessible platform (www.contaminatedsites.org), and how it can used for research, planning, policy development and programming.

Bret Ericson, Director of Operations at Pure Earth, manages and oversees the organization’s efforts related to risk assessment and management of contaminated sites in low and middle income countries. Mr. Ericson has worked in 30+ countries and has managed environmental remediation projects related to heavy metals and pesticides contamination in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Somaliland, Uruguay, Vietnam and Zambia. He has co-authored 16 peer reviewed journal articles related to health risks and interventions at contaminated sites. In addition to his work at Pure Earth, Mr. Ericson is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Global Environmental Health at NYU and an Adjunct Lecturer at the CUNY School of Public Health. He holds an MSc in Urbanization and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a PhD candidate in Environmental Sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Pollution Info Session #11: The reduction of emissions of mercury from large point sources controlled under the Convention

Thursday, November 9, 2017, 8:00 AM  EST (New York time)
Presenter: Mrs. Sheila Logan

This presentation will focus more on the reduction of emissions of mercury from large point sources controlled under the Convention such as power plants, industrial boilers, waste incineration, cement production and the smelting and roasting of nonferrous metals.

Mrs. Sheila Logan has been working with UNEP for thirteen years on issues relating to chemicals and wastes, with the highlight being her support for the negotiations on the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Her work on chemicals and waste has built on her previous work in the Department of Health and Aged Care in Australia, where she worked as a regulatory toxicologist assessing pesticides and industrial chemicals. She is a graduate in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Pollution Info Session #10: GEF Gold: Going Further Than Technology Transfer

Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017, 8:00 Am EST (New York time)
Presenter: Mr. Ludovic Bernaudat

This presentation will describe the GEF Gold program, which will be implemented to “reduce the use of mercury in the ASGM sector in the participating countries through facilitating the access to finance to artisanal miners and mining communities for the introduction of low and non-mercury technologies and techniques and through the development of sustainable ASGM gold supply chains.” (GEF website, 2017).

Pollution Info Session #9: Buenas prácticas en minería aurífera aluvial para facilitar una adecuada recuperación de áreas (in Spanish)

Thursday, July 29th, 2017
Presentadores: Sr. Achim Constantin de GIZ y Sr. Cesar Llanos Puga, del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente de Perú (MINAM)

Esta presentación dará a conocer los contenidos principales del "Manual de buenas prácticas en minería aurífera aluvial para facilitar una adecuada recuperación de áreas" elaborado por el Ministerio del Ambiente de Perú. El objetivo del manual es proponer pautas técnicas en las «etapas clave» del proceso productivo aurífero aluvial de la pequeña minería y la minería artesanal, con la finalidad de prevenir impactos ambientales y facilitar una adecuada recuperación de áreas degradadas al final del proceso de explotación. Las buenas prácticas que se presentan se basan en experiencias y datos empíricos obtenidos a lo largo de un trabajo realizado en el 2014 en el marco del programa “Contribución a las Metas Ambientales del Perú (ProAmbiente) de la Cooperación Alemana, implementada por la Deustsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH en la región de Madre de Dios ubicado en la selva peruana.

The presentation will present the main contents of the “Manual of Good Practices in alluvial gold mining to facilitate an adequate recovery of contaminated areas” prepared by the Ministry of the Environment of Peru. The aim of the manual is to propose technical guidelines in the “key stages” of the alluvial gold production process of small-scale mining and artisanal mining, in order to prevent environmental impacts and facilitate an adequate recovery of degraded areas at the end of the exploitation process. The good practices that are presented are based on experiences and empirical data obtained during a work done in 2014 in the framework of the program "Contribution to the Environmental Goals of Peru (ProAmbiente) of the German Cooperation, implemented by the Deustsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in the region of Madre de Dios located in the Peruvian jungle.

Pueden acceder al manual a través del siguiente enlace:
http://www.relasc.org/biblioteca/manual-de- buenas-practicas- en-mineria- aurifera- aluvial-para- facilitar-una- adecuada-recuperacion- de-areas/

You can access the manual (in Spanish) through the following link: http://www.relasc.org/biblioteca/manual-de- buenas-practicas- en-mineria- aurifera-aluvial-para- facilitar-una- adecuada-recuperacion- de-areas/

Sr. Achim Constantin (Alemania) El Sr. Mag. rer. nat Achim Constantin estudió Geología en la Universidad de Viena, Austria, con especialización en Hidrogeología, Geología ambiental, Hidroquímica y Remediación de Sitios Contaminados. Después de dos años de trabajo autónomo en su propia empresa «Constantin-Umweltgeologe» en Austria, fue contratado en el año 2005 como proyectista por la empresa de ingeniería “bfm gmbh” en Múnich, Alemania, dedicada a la investigación y remediación de sitios contaminados. En el año 2007 fue nombrado además director de la sucursal de dicha empresa en Düsseldorf en el estado federal de Renania del Norte-Westfalia. Los proyectos realizados abarcaban el amplio sector de la gestión de contaminaciones de suelos y de aguas subterráneas, incluyendo la identificación y caracterización de sitios contaminados, evaluaciones de riesgo, el planeamiento, la licitación y la ejecución de las acciones de remediación. Desde agosto 2013 trabaja a través de la Cooperación Alemana como Experto Integrado CIM / GIZ en la Dirección General de Calidad Ambiental del Ministerio del Ambiente (MINAM) en Perú. En noviembre del 2015 asumió el cargo del secretario de la Red Latinoamericana sobre Prevención y Gestión de Sitios Contaminados (ReLASC).

Mr. Achim Constantin (Alemania) Mr. Achim Constantin studied Geology at the University of Vienna, Austria, with a specialization in Hydrogeology, Environmental Geology, Hydrochemistry and Remediation of Contaminated Sites. After two years of self-employment with the company “Constantin-Umweltgeologe” in Austria, he was hired in 2005 as a designer by the engineering company “bfm gmbh” in Munich, Germany, dedicated to the investigation and remediation of contaminated sites. In 2007 he was also appointed director of the company’s branch in Düsseldorf in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Projects carried out covered the broad area of soil and groundwater contamination management, including identification and characterization of contaminated sites, risk assessments, planning, tendering and implementation of remediation actions. Since August 2013 he works through the German Cooperation as an Integrated Expert CIM / GIZ in the General Direction of Environmental Quality of the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) in Peru. In November 2015 he assumed the position of the secretary of the Latin American Network on Prevention and Management of Contaminated Sites (ReLASC).

Sr. Cesar Llanos Puga (Perú) El Ing. Cesar Llanos estudió Ingeniería Ambiental en la Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima-Perú, se ha capacitado en gestión y remediación de sitios contaminados, comunicación de riesgos y contaminación atmosférica. Actualmente labora, desde junio de 2016, en la Dirección General de Calidad Ambiental del Ministerio del Ambiente de Perú, desempeñando labores relacionados a la gestión nacional de sustancias químicas y a la implementación de Convenios Internacionales (Minamata, Estocolmo, Rotterdam y Basilea). Además, colabora en la administración y actividades de la Red Latinoamericana sobre Prevención y Gestión de Sitios Contaminados (ReLASC).

Mr. Cesar Llanos Puga (Perú) Engineer Cesar Llanos studied Environmental Engineering at the National Agrarian University of La Molina, Lima-Peru, he has been trained in management and remediation of contaminated sites, risk communication and air pollution. Since June 2016, he has been working in the General Directorate of Environmental Quality of the Ministry of the Environment of Peru, working on the national management of chemical substances and the implementation of International Agreements (Minamata, Stockholm, Rotterdam and Basel). In addition, he collaborates in the administration and activities of the Latin American Network on Prevention and Management of Contaminated Sites (ReLASC).

Pollution Info Session #8: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining and the Minamata Convention on Mercury

Thursday, June 29th, 2017 8:00 AM EST
Presenter: Mrs. Sheila Logan

This presentation will cover the obligations of the convention, including what is in and what is not, what parties have to do, as well as the timeframes, and also the support available through financial mechanisms.

Mrs. Sheila Logan has been working with UNEP for thirteen years on issues relating to chemicals and wastes, with the highlight being her support for the negotiations on the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Her work on chemicals and waste has built on her previous work in the Department of Health and Aged Care in Australia, where she worked as a regulatory toxicologist assessing pesticides and industrial chemicals. She is a graduate in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from the University of Melbourne in Australia. 

Pollution Info Session #6:  Hexavalent Chromium Remediation

Thur, April 6, 2017 8:00 AM EST  (New York time)
Presenter: Mr. Sachin Sharma

The presentation focuses on various remediation alternatives (In-Situ and Ex-Situ methods) available today to reduce hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] in soil and groundwater and also includes a brief summary of general health risks from Cr (VI). The implementability, effectiveness, and practical challenges associated with each remediation alternative will be discussed to provide a range of solutions that can be used at a given Cr (VI) impacted site. A case study will also be discussed to show the reduction in pre and post pilot study Cr (VI) levels. Cost effective methods to reduce Cr (VI) concentrations will also be discussed in the presentation.

Mr. Sachin Sharma, P.E. is a certified professional engineer with 13 years of extensive experience in environmental consulting, remediation strategy, project management, and health & safety. He is currently working on a large scale chromium remediation project in New Jersey. His design expertise includes remediation technologies evaluation, physical and chemical treatment processes, equipment sizing and instrumentation, system operation, maintenance & monitoring.

Pollution Info Session #5: Approaches To Measuring Health Impacts At Toxic Waste Sites

Date: Thursday, March 23, 2017, 8:00 AM EST
Presenter: Dr. Jack Caravanos

Dr. Caravanos is Professor of Global Environmental Health at NYU’s College of Global Public Health and Director of Research at Pure Earth.

Pollution Info Session #4: Is Mercury Really Needed In ASGM?

Date: Thursday, March 9, 2017, 8:00 AM EST
Presenter: Mr. Ludovic Bernaudat

This session presents the basic characteristics of the sector, explains why mercury is used and showcases good examples of non-mercury extraction.

Mr. Ludovic Bernaudat is an environment specialist with 17 years of experience in research and development projects with a strong focus on mercury. He has co-lead the inception of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining area of the UN Environment Global Mercury Partnership since its inception in 2007. He holds a MSc in Environmental Sciences.

Pollution Info Session #3: Overview Of AuthorAid – A Researcher Network

Date: Thursday, Feb 23, 2017, 8:00 AM EST
Presenters: Ms. Jennifer Chapin & Ms. Sandra Page-Cook

Ms. Page-Cook will talk about the Journal of Health and Pollution and the close collaboration with INASP. Ms. Chapin will provide an overview of AuthorAID: the website, mentoring platform, online courses, embedding work and recent work supporting women researchers. She will also present the other work they do at INASP on access to e-resources, supporting libraries and supporting evidence-informed policymaking.

Ms. Jennifer Chapin 
coordinates the communication of research at INASP, managing the AuthorAID programme to support the capacity of researchers in developing countries to communicate their research to different actors, and to increase the quality and quantity of their research publications. Before joining INASP in 2016, Jennifer spent the previous four years at the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in London, a role which included developing research best practice and quality assurance, supporting the development of actuarial research with 300 researchers worldwide.

Ms. Page-Cook is the Managing Editor of the Journal of Health and Pollution at Pure Earth.

Pollution Info Session #2 – The Chemistry of Environmental Mercury

Thursday, February 9, 2017, 8:00 a.m. EST
Presenter: Dr. Jack Caravanos

The complicated chemistry of environmental mercury: Mercury exists in many forms as a liquid, solid and gas. To make matter worse, each form has different solubilities, vapor pressures and environmental pathways. Once in the body, each form impacts different organs systems. Some forms are deadly while others seem innocuous. What this means is that assessing the human health effects from mercury releases and exposures is complicated. This presentation will describe the chemistry of mercury and how it moves through the environment and our bodies.

Dr. Jack Caravanos is Professor of Global Environmental Health at NYU’s College of Global Public Health and Director of Research at Pure Earth. He originally trained in chemistry and now specializes in assessing environmental contamination and human health effects of toxic agents.

Pollution Info Session # 1 – How to Remediate Lead Contaminated Sites

Thursday, Jan 26, 2017, 8:00 a.m. EST
Presenter: Mr. John Keith

This session introduces the different sources of lead contamination and health effects, reviews seven strategies for the remediation of such sites, and presents some of the most cost-effective strategies for remediation, including several Pure Earth projects. The presentation ends with a discussion of lessons learned.

Mr. John Keith is an environmental executive and engineer with over 40 years experience in industry and government. He has directed many contamination remediation projects in the U.S. and throughout the world. In 2010 he spent 3 months in Zamfara, Nigeria, as the project manager for Pure Earth/Blacksmith Institute, remediating severe lead contamination in seven remote villages.

He served as Director of Operations for Pure Earth in 2011-2012, and since entering semi-retirement, serves as Senior Technical Advisor. He has provided expert advice for many Pure Earth projects, including efforts in Vietnam, Indonesia, Somaliland, Zambia and several former Soviet Union countries, working mostly on lead and pesticide contamination projects.