Nat’l Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning opens at Era Univ

LUCKNOW A National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning – India (NRCLPI), supported by Ulster University, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, was inaugurated here on Saturday at the Era University.

“The centre has been established to carry out studies on lead toxicity. Lead is an environmental toxicant which affects every human organ and can even permeate through the foetus bloodbrain barrier causing negative impact on foetal growth and the developing brain,” said Prof AA Mahdi, vice chancellor Era University. Prof Mahdi also signed an MoU with Prof MLB Bhatt, vice chancellor, King George’s Medical University, for undertaking joint research projects, in presence of Prof Thuppil Venkatesh, from Bengaluru, popularly called “Lead Man of India.”

Lead is an environmental toxicant which accounts for 0.6% of the global burden of disease, with the highest burden in developing

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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LAB WILL FACILITATE STUDIES IN RURAL AREAS WHERE CHANCES OF LEAD EXPOSURE ARE HIGH

countries such as India.

“In view of these points, Era University has entered into an understanding with Ulster University, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom to design low-cost point-of-care analytical devices such as a computational model in the form of mobile-based app that could predict blood lead level without lab testing,” said Prof Abbas. The establishment of lab at Era University will facilitate studies in rural areas where chances of lead exposure are high. Prof Thuppil Venkatesh said that lead is highly toxic for humans and there is a need to minimize human exposure.HTC