Lead is a highly toxic substance, exposure to which can cause a variety of adverse health effects. Young children under the age of six are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, and even low levels of exposure can lead to lower IQ, shorter attention span, reading or learning disabilities, impaired physical growth and kidney damage. Through its Lead Program, Blacksmith Institute aims to clean up sites in the global south where lead contamination has had significant health impacts on a wide population, especially children.