Off‑grid Solar Drives Lead Poisoning

Decentralized solar expansion in low‑income countries is replacing grid absence with cheap solar+lead‑acid systems. Because most lead‑acid cells aren’t recycled safely where they’re deployed, this rollout is producing large volumes of toxic waste and raising child blood‑lead levels at scale. — This reframes clean‑energy aid and climate‑access policy as a cross‑sector public‑health problem that requires regulation, finance, and recycling infrastructure, not just panel subsidies.