Increasing prosperity and population growths in many developing countries are resulting in accelerated growth in vehicle population and vehicle kilometres travelled. In Pakistan, the number of vehicles have jumped from 0.8 million to about 4.0 million within 20 years showing an overall increase of more than 400 %. Accordingly, the consumption of petrol (motor spirit) has increased from 828,670 metric tons to 1,189,042 metric tons. The high content of lead in petrol is a serious issue, as the end product of it is the release of lead into the environment and considering its devastating effect on children in developing countries with dietary deficiencies

Experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that lead is a neurotoxin, which impairs brain development in children even at levels considered safe. Blood lead levels (BPbLs) was studied in 900 healthy school children (boys & girls), mostly below 15 years of age and from lower income families, in some cities of Pakistan. The overall mean BPbLs (micrograms per decilitre) in three cities were 22.8 +/- 3.30, 19.00 +/- 6.48 and 2.30 +/- 0.19 (rural site). Details of these investigations and government National Environment Action Plan (NEAP), with special reference to clean air by providing clean fuel and taking other air pollution control measures are described and discussed in this paper.

Lead pollution is a crucial environmental and occupational problem and is widely regarded as a health risk. Lead accumulates in the blood, bones and soft tissues and affects the kidneys, liver, nervous system and blood forming organs with different residence times in the body. Studies throughout the world have indicated that children are especially sensitive to lead. To curtail its effect on children, the author makes the following suggestions:

Formulation of ambient air quality standards and monitoring
Revision of national environmental quality standards for vehicular emissions to include all criteria pollutants.
Periodic testing of vehicles for emission and quality of unleaded petrol at petrol stations.
Further promotion of compressed natural gas (CNG), including its use in public transport.
Management of fuel price differential to encourage substitution of polluting fuels with cleaner fuels.
Improved traffic management.
Upgrading of road transport infrastructure and improvement of urban planning to minimize travel distance.

Follow up study on environmental health impacts on children in particular, especially due to lead, to examine the impact of unleaded petrol supply in the country.