600 people affected by lead poisoning in China
June 12th, 2011 - 5:54 pm ICT by IANSBeijing, June 12 (IANS) Over 600 people, including 103 children, in an eastern China province have been found to have “dangerously high” levels of lead in their blood, health officials said.
Workers and their children at 25 tin foil processing workshops in Shaoxing county in Zhejiang province have been the most affected by the lead poisoning, Xinhua reported.
A health official said lead poisoning is defined as having more than 600 micrograms of lead per litre of blood for an adult and more than 250 micrograms for a child.
The workshops have suspended their operations, the local government said.
Lead is commonly used in tin foil processing. China has not yet formulated standards for the use of lead in such industries.
Experts say children tend to absorb more lead than adults and they also discharge far less, which can lead to fatal levels of lead in their blood.
Lead in the blood can damage the digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems and cause stomachache, anaemia and convulsions.
The local environment bureau has tested samples of water, air and soil and found no contamination.
More than 2,500 people are employed by around 200 tin foil processing workshops in the region.
- Excessive lead levels found in 200 Chinese kids - Jan 05, 2011
- High levels of lead found in 99 Chinese kids - May 16, 2011
- 12 plants closed in China after lead found in kids' blood - Jul 08, 2012
- Over 200 children have excessive lead levels in eastern China - Jan 05, 2011
- 84 Chinese kids detected with lead poisoning - Jul 26, 2010
- Lead poisoning leaves 45 children sick in China - Mar 23, 2010
- 39 children in China found to have lead poisoning - Jul 24, 2010
- Regular breakfast may help prevent lead poisoning in kids - Apr 02, 2011
- Lead poisoning, 120 kids ill in China - Sep 27, 2009
- 42 kids hit by food poisoning in China - Jul 08, 2011
- Three Chinese robbers sentenced to death - Jul 19, 2012
- China bans sale of mud snails after vomiting cases - Jul 20, 2012
- Explosives-laden truck explodes at Chinese cement factory, 9 dead - Aug 28, 2012
- Low Vitamin D in kids linked to anaemia - May 02, 2011
- Battery factory poisons 24 children in China - Jan 06, 2011
Tags: adults, anaemia, china beijing, china province, contamination, convulsions, eastern china, environment bureau, health official, health officials, lead poisoning, litre, local government, micrograms, reproductive systems, soil, tin foil, water air, xinhua, zhejiang province