DREADFUL LEAD
A 17-month air analysis in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, which ended recently, has found that lead pollution is the highest in the world here during the low-rain period. The analyis, carried out by scientists of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), states that during the months of November, December and January, the quantity of lead was 463 nanogram (billionth of a gram) per cubic metre of air compared to Mexico's 383 and Mumbai's 360. Lead is a primary emission of automobile fuels and BAEC scientists have warned that it could cause respiratory problems and also retard intelligence levels in children.