Dozens with high lead levels near battery plant
Source: Xinhua |
May 6, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
DOZENS of people living near a battery plant in Zhejiang Province have dangerously high lead levels in their blood, according to medical tests carried out since March.
Some people in Xinshi Town of Deqing County have excessive blood lead levels, the county's information office said yesterday.
Zhejiang Haijiu Battery Co Ltd had been ordered to suspend its operations. It has about 1,000 employees.
The county government sent an investigation team to the company yesterday, the office said.
In Mengxi Village, Xinshi Town, medical tests on 19 children, including a five-month-old baby, showed excessive lead levels in their blood. However, the total number of people with lead poisoning has not been released since more people need to be tested, said Rong Weiguo, who has worked in the plant for three years.
Rong's four-year-old son, nephew and niece all had high lead levels, with the lowest at 293 micrograms of lead per liter of blood, far exceeding the normal level of 100 micrograms per liter of blood.
Some adults, including factory workers and villagers, also had excessive lead levels, with the highest being 590 micrograms of lead per liter of blood, said a worker surnamed Chen.
Excessive amounts of lead in the blood can damage the digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems and cause anemia and convulsions.
Environmental protection officials collected samples of soil, water, vegetables and grain from areas surrounding the plant on April 30. Test results have not been released.
Haijiu Battery's deputy general manager Zhao Guogen said: "Our company will foot the sick children's medical bills."
Some people in Xinshi Town of Deqing County have excessive blood lead levels, the county's information office said yesterday.
Zhejiang Haijiu Battery Co Ltd had been ordered to suspend its operations. It has about 1,000 employees.
The county government sent an investigation team to the company yesterday, the office said.
In Mengxi Village, Xinshi Town, medical tests on 19 children, including a five-month-old baby, showed excessive lead levels in their blood. However, the total number of people with lead poisoning has not been released since more people need to be tested, said Rong Weiguo, who has worked in the plant for three years.
Rong's four-year-old son, nephew and niece all had high lead levels, with the lowest at 293 micrograms of lead per liter of blood, far exceeding the normal level of 100 micrograms per liter of blood.
Some adults, including factory workers and villagers, also had excessive lead levels, with the highest being 590 micrograms of lead per liter of blood, said a worker surnamed Chen.
Excessive amounts of lead in the blood can damage the digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems and cause anemia and convulsions.
Environmental protection officials collected samples of soil, water, vegetables and grain from areas surrounding the plant on April 30. Test results have not been released.
Haijiu Battery's deputy general manager Zhao Guogen said: "Our company will foot the sick children's medical bills."
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