Zambia’s Kabwe Residents Sue Mining Company Over Lead Contamination

Kabwe, located about 150 kilometres north of Zambia’s capital Lusaka, remains one of the world’s most polluted sites because of decades of lead and zinc mining. In the city’s most affected areas, more than 95 percent of children exceed the World Health Organization safety threshold of 50 micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood.

A simple blood test performed on two local children confirmed the extent of contamination, according to reporting by France 24.

Lead exposure occurs when children play in dust or walk barefoot through contaminated soil. The metal can cause intellectual and physical disabilities in developing bodies.

An estimated 140,000 affected women and children are participating in a class-action suit filed against Anglo American South Africa Limited in the Johannesburg High Court. Judgment in the case is expected later this year.