Hundreds of Chinese children hit by lead poisoning

More than 200 children in China have been diagnosed with lead poisoning thought to have come from battery factories.

Tests last month in Gaohe in the eastern Anhui province showed that three children had high levels of lead in their blood.

That prompted authorities to carry out checks on a further 280 children, some of them just a few months old. More than 200 of them were found to have been poisoned.

Two local battery factories have been blamed for the outbreak and closed. One was separated from residents in Gaohe by only a narrow road, which contravenes environmental protection norms. By law, factories must be located at least 500 metres from residential areas.

Lead poisoning is caused by repeated exposure to small amounts of lead and can damage the nervous system and the kidney and lead to high blood pressure and anaemia.

In children, the problem can harm brain development and have irreparable consequences such as learning difficulties and behavioural problems.

A level of 100 milligrams of lead per litre of blood is considered dangerous for children. Some of those tested in Gaohe had levels more than than three times that amount.

China’s environment ministry has called for urgent measure to tackle the growing problem of heavy metal poisoning.

Last year angry protesters smashed equipment at a smelting works that they blame for lead poisoning in more than 600 local children.

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