**8. Lead in soil**

Some recent reports on the concentrations of lead in soils in the affected villages showed three levels of contamination according to the locations. Higher concentrations of up to 8 percent (80 mg/kg) were obtained in locations close to surface water sources, as well as some drinking water wells. At ore processing locations, much higher lead concentrations have been reported. For example, in lead poisoning instances involving younger children and toddlers, concentrations above 1000 ppm have been reported due to incidental ingestion of soil. In some extreme cases, concentrations as high as 60,000 ppm have been reported during visits to highly polluted villages prior to their remediation. However, in many places away from the ore processing locations, much lower concentrations have been reported, suggesting a human factor in the dispersion of lead [5].
