Phasing out lead from gasoline in central and eastern Europe: Health issues, feasibility, and policies

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:544493

Lovei, M

A number of countries have completely eliminated the use of lead additives in gasoline, but in Central and Eastern Europe, lead still ranks as one of the most serious and widespread environmental hazards--yet one that is relatively inexpensive to remedy. At a major international conference on the environment held in Switzerland in 1993, 50 countries endorsed the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe, which addressed environmental priority issues such as lead exposure. The report summarizes the findings of case studies on lead phase-out as a first-step study designed to assist in the implementation of the Environmental Action Programme. It examines major sources and levels of lead exposure in the region, looks at the costs of phasing out leaded gasoline, describes progress in reducing lead exposure over the past 5-8 years, identifies human health improvements, and draws on lessons of experience from countries in the region. One of the case studies, for example, describes in detail the complete phase-out of leaded gasoline in the Slovak Republic. Although it recognizes the importance of dealing with all significant sources of lead exposure, the study focuses on lead exposure from the exhaust of vehicles using leaded gasoline.

• Research Organization: World Bank Group, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 544493
• Report Number(s): WB--0825/XAB; ISBN 0-8213-3915-X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
EASTERN EUROPE
GASOLINE
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LEAD
POLLUTION CONTROL