September 06, 2021

The end of the leaded petroleum era: a win for world health

topic:	Energy
located:	Algeria
editor:	Bob Koigi

In what has been hailed as a historic development, the world has finally put an end to the use of leaded petrol after Algeria, the last country to include the toxic chemical in fuel, exhausted its supplies and discontinued sales last month. 

It marks close to a century since lead was first added to petrol in early 1920's as a way to improve engine performance. 

After its addition to petroleum products, lead has been identified as a cause for cancer, stroke, heart diseases and has been proven to damage the development and health of children’s brains. Leaded fuel has also been blamed for contaminating food crops, drinking water, air and soil with detrimental impacts that last for decades.

While developed countries prohibited the use of leaded petrol in the 1980s, the developing world has relied on it until today. 

However, activists have been fighting to ban the toxic chemical for years. In 2002, a public-private campaign dubbed the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV), chaperoned by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), set out to raise awareness on the dangers of lead by addressing resistance from producers and dealers of lead and offering technical support to upgrade refineries. This has culminated in end of the era of lead in July 2021. 

But as the world celebrates this milestone, concerns are emerging over the detrimental effects of transportation and the use of all fossil fuels - leaded and non-leaded - on the environment and public health. Even as electric cars take a greater part of the market share, an estimated total of 1.2 billion new cars will be on the road by 2050. Countries, especially in the developing world, still rely heavily on fossil fuels which may exacerbate air pollution and climate change. 

As attention shifts towards tools and methods for a greener future, governments, the private sector and the international community must work together and make huge sacrifices that prioritise both people’s health and the planet’s.

Image by drpepperscott230

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