Islamabad: Industrial pollution from lead acid battery manufacturing units in Hattar industrial zone of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is emerging as a major source of toxic lead exposure for children and workers in adjoining areas as contaminated air, soil and water are putting entire communities at risk of long term damage, national and international organizations warned on Friday.
A recent study by the Ministry of National Health Services and UNICEF found that four in ten children aged 12 to 36 months in high risk industrial zones across Pakistan have elevated levels of lead in their blood, with the highest burden recorded in Hattar, where 88 percent of children tested were affected.
Health officials and environmental experts say the concentration of lead acid battery recycling and manufacturing units in Hattar is a key driver of exposure, with emissions, unsafe recycling practices and untreated industrial waste contaminating surrounding areas, including Taxila, Hasan Abdal and Wah Cantt.
Workers employed in these factories, many of them young men commuting daily from nearby towns, are among the worst affected. Physicians at public sector hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi report a steady influx of patients from these areas presenting with symptoms linked to chronic lead exposure, including severe anaemia, abdominal pain, fatigue, neurological complaints and, in some cases, impaired kidney function.
Doctors say many of these patients are advised to avoid further exposure to lead, but economic constraints and lack of alternative employment force them to return to the same hazardous workplaces, perpetuating the cycle of exposure.
Experts warn that the risk is not limited to workers alone. Lead particles released into the environment settle into soil and mix with water sources, increasing the likelihood of exposure among children through contaminated food, dust and drinking water. Young children are particularly vulnerable as they absorb significantly more lead than adults, and even low levels can cause irreversible damage to brain development.
Officials familiar with environmental assessments say untreated waste from battery units is often discharged into open drains and nearby waterways, raising concerns about contamination of groundwater used for drinking and irrigation. This, they say, creates a wider public health hazard affecting entire communities beyond industrial zones.
Lead exposure in children has been linked to stunted growth, anaemia, weakened immunity and serious cognitive impairment, including reduced IQ, poor attention span and learning difficulties. Health experts warn that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and its effects on the developing brain are permanent.
Despite these risks, regulatory enforcement remains weak, with gaps in monitoring industrial emissions, waste disposal and occupational safety standards. Informal and unregulated recycling practices further compound the problem.
Officials acknowledge that while Pakistan lacks a comprehensive nationwide surveillance system for lead exposure, available evidence suggests the burden could be far higher, with some global estimates indicating that a majority of children in the country may be affected to varying degrees.
At a recent high level meeting, policymakers and development partners called for urgent action, including stricter regulation of lead based industries, safer waste management practices, and the development of a national action plan to reduce exposure. Strengthening blood lead monitoring and raising public awareness were also identified as key priorities.
Health experts stress that without immediate intervention, continued exposure from industrial hotspots like Hattar could lead to a silent public health crisis, with lasting consequences for child development, workforce productivity and the country’s economic future.