Lead poisoning is a global health crisis that contributes to as many as 5.5 million premature deaths annually—more than HIV, malaria, and car accidents combined. Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no known safe exposure level. Even small amounts of lead can cause severe health problems, and the consequences worsen with increased exposure.
While progress has been made in reducing lead exposure from various sources, one remarkable success story comes from Bangladesh, where scientists, advocates, and policymakers collaborated to make their country safer from lead contamination, particularly in turmeric. In the 1990s, Bangladesh took the significant step of phasing out leaded gasoline, a major source of lead exposure.
Despite this action, high blood lead levels persisted in the population. Researchers Stephen Luby and Jenny Forsyth, working in rural Bangladesh, sought to identify the source of this ongoing lead contamination. To their surprise, they discovered that lead-adulterated turmeric was the primary culprit.
Turmeric is a widely used spice in South Asia and beyond, known for its vibrant yellow color. Unscrupulous sellers were adding lead chromate, a lead-containing pigment, to turmeric to enhance its color and increase sales. As a result, consumers who purchased adulterated turmeric were unknowingly poisoning themselves.
According to a recent study published in Environmental Research, this alarming discovery garnered international attention, especially when cases emerged of lead-contaminated spices affecting children in the United States, often linked to families who had imported spices from abroad. Despite the dire situation, there is a silver lining. A recent study examining lead levels in turmeric in Bangladesh revealed that concerted efforts by researchers and the Bangladeshi government have successfully eliminated lead from the turmeric supply chain in the country.
The process began when the researchers, affiliated with the nonprofit International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, initiated discussions with government officials. They conducted nationwide sampling and published a follow-up study in 2019 to highlight the extent of the lead contamination problem. The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority also became involved in the campaign.
A two-part strategy was implemented. First, an education campaign was launched to inform the public about the dangers of lead exposure from adulterated turmeric. Once the public was made aware of the illegal practice of lead adulteration, enforcement actions followed. These included raids on markets to inspect turmeric products and impose fines on sellers found guilty of selling contaminated products.
Tens of thousands of flyers were distributed, warning people about the risks of lead exposure from adulterated turmeric. Media coverage further amplified the message. Additionally, X-ray fluorescence analysers were deployed to detect lead in turmeric products during market inspections. Contaminated products were confiscated, and fines were imposed on sellers.
The results of these efforts were nothing short of remarkable. The study, released in 2021, reported that the proportion of turmeric samples in the market containing detectable lead dropped from 47 percent before the intervention in 2019 to 0 percent in 2021. Furthermore, the elimination of lead from turmeric had an immediate and significant impact on blood lead levels in affected populations, leading to a median reduction of 30 percent.
The success achieved in Bangladesh is a testament to the power of concerted problem-solving efforts. While many global issues, such as climate change, require complex, long-term solutions, some problems persist due to a lack of awareness and inadequate enforcement of existing rules. What is particularly striking about the Bangladesh case is that some suppliers who sold adulterated turmeric had given it to their own children.
Others were aware of the risks but felt trapped in a cycle of selling contaminated products due to economic pressures. Their actions were not driven by malicious intent; rather, they either lacked awareness, did not know how to address the issue, or feared financial ruin if they stopped using lead-containing additives while competitors continued. However, when the Food Safety Authority acted by imposing fines and conducting inspections, adding lead to turmeric ceased to be a profitable endeavour.
Consumers learned to recognize natural, non-adulterated turmeric, and the prevalence of lead in turmeric products rapidly declined from being ubiquitous to nearly non-existent in just a few years. This transformation benefits everyone, from turmeric wholesalers to vulnerable children, all at an astonishingly low cost. The recent study concluded that “with credible information, appropriate technology, and good enough governance, the adulteration of spices can be stopped.”
While challenges remain, such as addressing the widespread adulteration of turmeric in India and maintaining vigilant safety testing to prevent lead from re-entering the spice supply in Bangladesh, the success story of Bangladesh offers a powerful reminder that positive change is possible and can happen rapidly when people are informed, motivated, and act.
In a world filled with complex and entrenched problems, the Bangladesh example demonstrates that even seemingly intractable issues can be tackled with determination, cooperation, and a shared commitment to safeguarding public health.
