Of the 70 people whose blood was tested as part of the investigation, 70% had amounts of lead in their bloodstream that were described as "harmful," including all of the people who worked in recycling facilities. The Times also compared their findings to the lead pollution caused by a now-shuttered auto battery recycling plant in Vernon, California. The investigation noted that soil at a school in Ogijo had around 20 times as much lead as a preschool near the plant in Vernon.
The global trade in marine aquarium fish relies heavily on fish sourced directly from wild populations, with many consumers unaware of the practice due to murky supply chains. New research has revealed the scale of the issue, finding most marine aquarium fish sold online in the US were wild-caught, mainly from the western Pacific and Indian oceans. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Globally, about 55 million marine animals are sold each year as part of the aquarium fish trade, an industry worth US$2.15bn.