There are several uses of lead the main ones being manufacture of lead acid batteries, X-ray

equipment, lead sheet and pipes, power cables, in brass and bronze alloys, glass making, ceramic glazes, pigments and other paint additives, additions to PVC and an additive in gasoline.

Lead can enter water, air and soil from natural and anthropogenic sources and can cause adverse effects on many parts of the body. The organs most affected are the brain and nervous system, kidneys, blood, and the reproductive system of both sexes. Lead in certain form is also considered a possible carcinogen. In children, long-term exposure to small quantities of lead can cause brain and kidney damage, hearing impairment and learning and behavioral problems. Even relatively low levels of lead can affect the developing foetus and young children impairing their mental development and causing a decrease in IQ.

The battery industry is the principle consumer of lead using an estimated 76% of annual primary and secondary lead produced. Lead in gasoline has been the major source of lead emissions to the environment but is now being phased out almost universally and therefore the production and recycling of lead acid batteries is now becoming the most significant source of lead exposure in India. In developing countries the average exposure levels in children residing near battery plants is four times and the average worker's lead level in blood is twice the recommended universal levels. In India, recycling of lead from used batteries is done largely by the informal sector and this leads to high levels of pollution as these smelters have no pollution control systems.

As a first step to tackle this problem Development Alternatives in collaboration with Occupational Knowledge International and National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning India is working in cooperation with lead acid battery manufacturing facilities to adopt sustainable environmental practices. This programme will help develop a universal environmental standard that addresses the environmental and occupational health impacts of these facilities and implement a collection programme for battery recycling. One of the top lead acid battery manufacturing facilities in India, Amara Raja Batteries Ltd. based at Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh is already participating in this unique programme. The programme got a boost when it was selected as one of the finalists for two international awards namely the first biennial Seed Awards and the 2005 Marketplace award of Global Giving.

In the course of the programme certain key issues have emerged that need to be addressed in the future. These include understanding of "The Battery (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001", regulatory authority’s knowledge and understanding of pollution, occupational health and safety aspects from lead acid battery manufacturing processes and need for training the workforce on the risks of lead exposure.