Pure Earth
Pure Earth works to protect people—especially children and pregnant women—and the planet from the harmful effects of toxic pollution, with a current focus on reducing lead and mercury exposure in low- and middle-income countries.
Pure Earth advances its goal of reducing lead and mercury poisoning in low-income and middle-income countries by collaborating with public, private, and civil society organizations to implement sustainable, cost-effective interventions with measurable impacts. Lead and mercury are two of the most prevalent pollutants in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Because of widespread exposure, both toxicants have a significant impact on the trajectory of societies, causing disability, death, IQ loss, increased violence, restricted futures for poisoned children, and cardiovascular disease in adults.
Vision
A world where all, especially children, are able to live healthy lives and reach their full potential, free from exposure to toxic pollution.
Mission
Pure Earth partners with governments, communities and industry leaders to identify and implement solutions that stop toxic exposures, protect health, and restore environments.
Values
Right to respect, dignity, and health, collaboration and empowerment, integrity and transparency, maximum impact, technical excellence,
bias for action.
How does Pure Earth work?
Pure Earth’s approach is practical and solutions-driven. They combine advocacy, technical assistance, social and behavior change strategies, and hands-on implementation to reduce exposures and restore environments. By integrating environmental science, engineering, public health, and social science, they deliver targeted, interdisciplinary interventions that work in the real world.
At the Happier Lives Institute, we evaluated Pure Earth’s programme to reduce lead exposure from cosmetics in Ghana. “Chilo”, also known as “surma” or “kohl”, is a popular type of eyeliner in Ghana that is applied to both girls and boys, even at a very young age. Chilo has been found to have very high levels of lead in it, which can lead to increased blood lead levels. Their project, Ending Lead-Contaminated Cosmetics in Ghana for Healthier Futures, will both reduce the supply of leaded cosmetics in the marketplace and reduce demand for lead-contaminated cosmetics by consumers, as well as boost government capacity to enforce regulations.
Pure Earth by the numbers
$0.23
our estimate of the cost to protect 1 child from lead exposure
0.025 WELLBY
our estimated impact per intervention
$9
estimated cost to create 1 WELLBY
1,200,000
people protected in 2024
You can learn more about WELLBYs here.
Why do we recommend Pure Earth?
To assess Pure Earth’s cosmetics project in Ghana, we conducted a structured review of the scientific literature on the harms of lead exposure, analysed Pure Earth’s own data from Ghana, and built a wellbeing-based model linking reductions in blood lead levels to lifelong improvements in mental health. This was a shallow evaluation, but it is currently the deepest wellbeing-focused assessment of lead exposure we’ve produced. We rate Pure Earth as a promising charity because their lead-removal work appears extremely cost-effective at improving global wellbeing, despite substantial uncertainty in the evidence base. Even under conservative assumptions, we estimate the Ghana cosmetics project produces around 105 WELLBYs per $1,000 donated. You can find the full (~45 page) report here.
