For 92 years, the lead and copper mines outside Kabwe, Zambia, ran with little or no environmental protections. It’s been more than a decade since the smelters shut down, and the lead level found in the average child, who bathes in a lead-contaminated stream and is constantly exposed to contaminated soil, is still five to 10 times the maximum allowed by the U.S. EPA. In many cases, children carry almost fatal levels of contamination. So far, the World Bank has provided $40 million to help relocate some neighborhoods in Kabwe, and several other international and local groups are implementing extensive programs to teach residents about lead poisoning.
Source: PopSci