Without decisive intervention, new cases of lead poisoning will emerge – Expert

By : Azeez Olorunlomeru

Date: 13 December 2025 10:02am WAT

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Lead poisoning

Lead poisoning

As government-led blood-lead screening continues in Ogijo, environmental expert Abayomi Ladapo has urged the government to move swiftly into the most crucial phase of the response with full-scale environmental remediation and long-term exposure prevention.

Ladapo disclosed that while screening is essential, it does not stop ongoing contamination.

He stated that lead remains deeply embedded in Ogijo’s soil, dust, and water, creating a constant cycle of exposure, particularly for children and pregnant women.

Ladipo’s position is further reinforced by peer-reviewed scientific research he has conducted as part of a Nigerian research team investigating heavy-metal contamination and its effect on human health and ecosystem degradation.

In a landmark study published in the book Soil Microbiome in Green Technology Sustainability, Olaniyi Popoola, Olusola Ogundele, Abayomi Ladapo, and Samson Senbore presented groundbreaking findings on how heavy-metal contamination disrupts soil microbial communities, offering urgent insight into the environmental and public-health dangers unfolding in Ogijo, Ogun State, where lead poisoning from industrial battery operations has triggered widespread concern.

The research provides one of the clearest scientific explanations yet for how heavy metals—including lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, zinc, and nickel—degrade soil quality and compromise human well-being.

The research highlights how the destruction of soil microbial systems removes natural biological buffers that would otherwise immobilise contaminants, thereby increasing human exposure through dust, water, and food pathways.

He added that without decisive environmental intervention, new cases of lead poisoning will continue to emerge, regardless of how many residents are tested.

According to him, “the immediate priority should be high-density mapping of contaminated hotspots, focusing on homes, schools, markets, and former smelting sites.  Such mapping, he explains, is critical for identifying the areas with the highest soil-lead concentrations and directing cleanup efforts where they are most needed.”

He further recommended that government teams begin systematic removal, replacement, or capping of heavily contaminated soil, especially in residential neighbourhoods and places where children spend time.

Additionally, Ladapo emphasises the urgent need for the safe collection and disposal of battery waste, slag, and other toxic remnants that continue to pose environmental and health risks.

He calls for the establishment of a multi-agency task force bringing together federal and state environmental regulators, public-health officials, and independent scientific experts to coordinate remediation, enforce environmental standards, and prevent the re-emergence of unregulated battery-recycling activities.

He reiterated that public-health measures must continue alongside cleanup efforts, which include reducing dust exposure, ensuring access to clean drinking water, and providing ongoing monitoring for children who already have elevated blood-lead levels.

On long-term surveillance programs, Ladapo added that it will be essential for tracking recovery and detecting any new contamination early.

He explained that Ogijo is at a pivotal moment, noting that with screening already underway, the focus must now shift to eliminating the environmental sources of contamination and restoring affected land. “Without a swift, science-driven remediation strategy, Ogijo’s toxic legacy will continue, and so will the health risks for its residents.

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