The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur has partnered with the Pahlé India Foundation to launch India’s first large-scale, multi-center study assessing blood lead levels (BLLs) in children and examining the effects on their cognitive and mental health.
The study, titled “Assessment of Blood Lead Levels in the Paediatric Population and Evaluation of its Effects on Cognitive and Mental Health,” will be conducted across seven AIIMS institutions: Nagpur, Raipur, Jodhpur, Patna, Bibinagar, Kalyani, and Mangalagiri. Over the next 18 months, the research team will enroll approximately 13,000 children aged 3 to 18 years.
The project is funded by the Pahlé India Foundation under its India Lead Elimination Action Partnership (i-LEAP) initiative, with a total allocation of ₹3.08 crore. AIIMS Nagpur will coordinate the study across all participating centers.
“Children are particularly vulnerable because their developing brains are highly susceptible to the toxic effects of lead, which can have lifelong consequences,” said Dr. Jyoti E John, the principal investigator of the study at AIIMS Nagpur, in a press statement reported byTimes of India.
The study aims to fill a significant evidence gap in India, where comprehensive national-level data on blood lead levels in children is currently lacking. According to the Pahlé India Foundation, lead exposure in early childhood has been linked globally to reduced IQ, poor academic performance, behavioral disorders, and long-term mental health concerns.
Dr. Ishan Joshi, a public health expert affiliated with the foundation, emphasized the study’s potential policy implications. “We believe this study can provide crucial evidence for government interventions to protect the health and development of India’s children,” he said in the official press release.
The study will include standardized cognitive and behavioral assessments to determine the neurological and psychological effects of lead exposure. It will also evaluate potential environmental and socioeconomic factors contributing to elevated BLLs, including the use of contaminated cookware, lead-based paints, industrial waste exposure, and poor urban sanitation.
