"This is what the auto industry wants people to see: sparkling factories turning reclaimed lead into batteries for Ford, Toyota, GM and the rest. But in Africa’s lead recycling capital, reality looks very different. Factories are poisoning people. We know because we tested them."

"This dirty lead goes into American cars.

Poisonous dust falls from the sky over the town of Ogijo, near Lagos, Nigeria. It coats kitchen floors, vegetable gardens, churchyards and schoolyards.

The toxic soot billows from crude factories that recycle lead for American companies.

With every breath, people inhale invisible lead particles and absorb them into their bloodstream. The metal seeps into their brains, wreaking havoc on their nervous systems. It damages livers and kidneys. Toddlers ingest the dust by crawling across floors, playgrounds and backyards, then putting their hands in their mouths."

Peter S. Goodman, Will Fitzgibbon and Samuel Granados report for the New York Times with visuals by Finbarr O’Reilly and Carmen Abd Ali November 18, 2025. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"How We Linked the Auto Industry to Lead Poisoning" (New York Times) [3]