Warnings about lead exposure from aluminum Afghan Kazan pressure cookers are being reported by the Boston Public Health Commission. A public health advisory is being issued relating to the danger of lead exposure connected to the use of these cookers.
Lead is a toxic heavy metal and it can causer myriad health problems. Acute lead poisoning can cause symptoms like muscle weakness, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, bloody urine, weight loss, and decreased urine output. Chronic or long term lead poisoning can damage the nervous system and internal organs, and can cause developmental delays and learning disorders in children.
The lead contamination in these cookers was first found by health officials in 2019 in King County, Washington after officials found high lead levels in immigrant children. The lead levels in these pressure cookers can cause lead poisoning in anyone using the cookware or eating food prepared in them.
The cookers are still available for sale on Amazon and Etsy, even though those organizations have been told of the lead contamination. The pressure cookers were also brought into the country by immigrating families. They can also be purchased at local markets.
The Boston Public Health Commission is warning anyone who owns this type of pressure cooker to stop using it immediately and to replace it with a stainless steel pressure cooker. Make sure that you buy a cooker that is made and regulated in the United States and that it is made from stainless steel.
If you have used an aluminum Afghan Kazan pressure cooker, contact a healthcare provider and have every member of your family screened for lead poisoning.
There is no safe level of lead in the human body. Children are particularly at risk for poisoning because of their small size. In Massachusetts, children are testing for lead poisoning at 9 to 12 months, and also at ages two, three, and four if they live in a high-risk community, such as Boston.
