Researchers studied lead detection technologies to recommend affordable methods for under-resourced communities in India and beyond.

TAUW, Pure Earth, and Lumetallix evaluated over a dozen methods to detect lead in soil to identify low-cost tools to scale up efforts to prevent lead exposure and poisoning. Current detection methods, such as handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzers, though effective, are very expensive, require specialized training, thus limiting their accessibility.

“If we can provide a set of tools for residents and local governments to identify a source of lead pollution in a quick and affordable manner, the exposure risk becomes tangible,” says Ilona van der Kroef with TAUW, “and risk mitigation steps can be taken sooner.”

The best available data from Indian institutions and others suggest that half of all children in the country have harmful levels of lead in their blood. Lead exposure results in decreased IQ, behavioral problems, cardiovascular damage, stunted growth, and even premature death. The consequences to public health and economic development are staggering.

The project report, The Assessment Of Lead Detection Methods In Tamil Nadu India And Beyond, details the investigation beginning with an evaluation of 13 potential low-cost lead detection methods, selecting four for further testing: ferric ferrocyanide (Prussian Blue), sodium rhodizonate, RGB Image Recognition, and Lumetallix. Following laboratory and field tests, two methods, sodium rhodizonate and Lumetallix, showed promise and were subjected to comprehensive field trials in Tamil Nadu.

After extensive testing, the research team concluded that when developing lead poisoning prevention programs with community involvement, a combination of the three techniques—sodium rhodizonate, Lumetallix, and handheld XRF analyzer or conventional laboratory analyses—should be viewed as complementary.

Both sodium rhodizonate and Lumetallix could be utilized by communities to pre-screen an area. The Lumetallix test kit offers a practical, affordable and fast solution for large-scale screening, making it a valuable tool for initial mapping and identification of lead pollution hotspots. The sodium rhodizonate test, although more time consuming, provides fewer tests, but with a more definitive indication of soil lead levels above a threshold of concern.

To learn more, watch the research team as they trial the range of methods on-site in Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

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