EPA probes Atlanta lead smelter Oct 18, 2009
An AJC review of blood tests reported to the state over the years on children in census tracts within a five-mile radius of the smelter site doesn t show any obvious pattern of lead poisoning. Forrest Staley, director of the state health department s child lead poisoning prevention program, said nothing jumped out on initial review of the data ... Lead poisoning frequently goes undiagnosed, experts say, because it often has no obvious symptoms. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
NC groups release child health report card Oct 16, 2009
The report also gave high grades to the state because children are born with a low number of communicable diseases and many are screened for lead poisoning. Barbara Bradley with Action for Children says other data reflect continued unacceptable risks for young people. (Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, NC)
High lead levels found in children Oct 15, 2009
BEIJING: Nearly 1000 children in a central Chinese province have tested positive for excessive lead in their blood, state media reported on Tuesday, the latest of several lead poisoning cases involving thousands of children across the country. After reports of large-scale lead poisoning in neighbouring Shaanxi province, the health bureau in Jiyuan City, Henan province, conducted blood tests on 2743 children under the age of 14, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted the bureau's director, Wei... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Advocates promote city's annual health fair Oct 14, 2009
The annual health fair will feature workshops on childhood obesity, asthma and lead poisoning prevention, along with vaccinations and physicals for school-age city children. Free health screenings will be offered to all attendees. (NJ.com -- Times)
Hundreds more kids in China poisoned by lead Oct 14, 2009
Lead poisoning found in 968 children in China ... BEIJING - Nearly 1,000 children in a central Chinese province have tested positive for excessive lead in their blood, state media reported Tuesday, the latest of several lead poisoning cases involving thousands of children across the country ... After reports of large-scale lead poisoning in neighboring Shaanxi province, the health bureau in Jiyuan City, Henan province, conducted blood tests on 2,743 children under the age of 14, the official... (MSNBC -- International)
Lead found in Uticas elementary schools Oct 14, 2009
Kathy Paciello, the county s coordinator for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, said the overall results are typical for buildings as old as some of the Utica school districts ... Paciello said the results should not scare parents, but if parents are concerned, they should talk to their health care providers who can determine if the child needs to be tested for lead poisoning ... The risk of getting lead poisoning from water is a lot lower than getting it from the home environment,... (Utica NY Obserer, NY)
Kenya: Country Faces Electronic Waste Time Bomb Oct 12, 2009
In Nairobi, the impact of this carefree disposal of e-waste is already beginning to be felt in Dandora estate where contact with dumpsite material has seen a steep rise in the number of children diagnosed with lead poisoning. Relevant Links. (allAfrica.com)
Stimulus targets stubborn foe lead in homes Oct 9, 2009
Anthony and Carolyn Hunt dont know how many jobs a $3 million federal stimulus grant to prevent lead poisoning in young children will bring to their county, but to them thats beside the point ... Lead poisoning in young kids can cause everything from learning problems to violent behavior, and even death in extreme cases ... But fully eradicating lead poisoning has proven difficult. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Hunter shoots bear being photographed near highway Oct 9, 2009
Just last week, a condor died at the Los Angeles Zoo from lead poisoning, though no one can say for sure if the lead came from a bullet. Fresno-area dove hunts planned. (Fresno Bee)
Fluoridation hard to swallow (3) Oct 4, 2009
I am a nurse of 25 yrs, I hope other professionals wake up and speak out as well, there are strength in numbers when we stand together ,a nurse at the health dept, tried to tell my niece to use fluoridated water with her babies infant formula, i clearly showed her current data indicating that it is the cause of lead poisoning and learning disabilities she stated i believe you but I am told i have to tell new mothers to use this, where is the human desire to do what is right and not be afraid to... (Malibu Times, CA)
Wild Meat Raises Lead Exposure Sep 30, 2009
Novin added that there has never been a documented case of lead poisoning among humans who have eaten game harvested with traditional ammunition ... What was most troubling is that as wild game consumption increases, the blood-lead levels increase, said study co-author , chief of the CDC s lead poisoning prevention branch ... John H. Schulz, a resource scientist at the , has calculated that as many as 15 million are killed in North America each year from lead poisoning, mostly from eating spent... (Scientific American)
Peeling paint could now lead to $2,500 fine Sep 25, 2009
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and Utica Mayor David Roefaro announced a new partnership Thursday designed to enhance enforcement of city codes in area that are at high risk for lead poisoning, the Oneida County Health Department said. Codes officials who issue citations for chipping or peeling paint now will be able to also cite property owners for conditions conducive to lead poisoning ... The seminar discussed codes enforcement policies related to lead poisoning prevention and... (Utica NY Obserer, NY)
Lawsuit to include Frankclay, Wortham Sep 24, 2009
Some early signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children are persistent tiredness and hyperactivity, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, reduced attention span, difficulty sleeping and constipation. The symptoms of low-level lead poisoning are not easy to detect and differ in adults and children. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Is ACORN too big for its own good? (13) Sep 24, 2009
Besides its community organizing, housing work and get-out-the-vote activities, over the years ACORN and its various affiliates have tackled such issues as predatory lending, a power plant in California, a telecommunications company merger, immigration fraud, financial literacy, racial discrimination, land use and lead poisoning. It opposed Wal-Mart s effort to start a bank and contends that big-box stores often take away more from communities than they give. (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
Fighting disease outbreaks with 2-way health information exchange Sep 22, 2009
Regenstrief's ground-breaking Notifiable Condition Detector (NCD) uses advanced computing techniques to examine electronically reported laboratory results for the detection of notifiable conditions such as novel H1N1 influenza, sexually transmitted diseases, lead poisoning, or salmonella. The NCD, now operational in Indiana, automatically detects positive cases of indicated conditions and forwards alerts to local and state health departments for review and possible follow up. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Read Chris Wallace's interview Sep 21, 2009
I have to make sure that children don't get lead poisoning. That's my job. (Fox News)
Poverty in Fresno carries hidden costs Sep 20, 2009
Then there are the hidden price tags -- the cost of limited mobility, a greater likelihood of getting ripped off in any number of ways, and expensive medical bills for things like lead poisoning from old paint. "It's costly for families, for parents, for kids and for the hospital system," said the Rev. Sharon Stanley, founder and executive director of the nonprofit social-service agency Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, or FIRM.. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Even Small Amounts of Lead Harmful to Kids Sep 19, 2009
"Lead poisoning is a continuing hazard, and should be considered in children presenting with behavioral or educational difficulties," the researchers wrote. "Early childhood exposure to lead affects later educational attainment and behavior, even at low blood levels, and the level of concern should be lowered to 5 [mcg/dl]," they concluded. (MEDLINEplus)
Empty promise? Sep 18, 2009
There was also no luck with the local government in Baoji, a city in Shaanxi Province where more than 600 school children recently suffered lead poisoning caused by pollution from a nearby smelting plant. We wanted to interview a senior official, but we could not even fax our request to the local government because "the building was out of electricity, so the fax machine didn't work". (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Brushing Up On Money-Saving Painting Tips Sep 18, 2009
According to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) document titled What You Need to Know About Lead Poisoning, "Despite laws established in the 1970s to make people aware of the dangers of lead and its poisonous effects, lead poisoning in children remains a common, yet preventable, environmental health problem in the United States." Heavily-leaded paint is in about two-thirds of homes built prior to 1940 and one-half of homes built from 1940 to 1960, according to the US Consumer Product... (RealtyTimes)
Discarded factory chemicals kill 3 in east China Sep 16, 2009
But officials face growing public anger over safety scandals in which children have often suffered most, such as the recent discovery of clusters of severe lead poisoning involving hundreds of children. More Stories from this section. (India Times, India)
Local briefs: Man arrested after running from store with women's clothing Sep 15, 2009
Just last week, a condor died at the Los Angeles Zoo from lead poisoning, though no one can say for sure if the lead came from a bullet. Visalia officers arrested a 30-year-old resident who was seen early Monday running from a store and carrying women's clothing valued at nearly $1,000, police said. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
It Happened One Decade Sep 14, 2009
The hero s father, a housepainter, becomes so dizzy from lead poisoning that he falls off some scaffolding and breaks his feet, but though capitalism has rendered him unable to work, he refuses to support any challenge to it, for fear that he might someday have to surrender the millions he dreams of making: I spit on a union. I do not believe in such nonsense. (New Yorker)
If you don't know what a klischograph is, give thanks Sep 13, 2009
1 litres) of milk a day, allegedly to protect them from lead poisoning because they laboured within a choking fug produced by pots of bubbling metal alongside clattering Linotype machines ... The few printers left are no longer condemned to ply their trade in an environment threatening them with lead poisoning. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Ted Kennedy Jr. shuns spotlight, but not duty to father’s memory Sep 13, 2009
In the 1990s, he balanced night classes at Yale Law School with his day job at the Yale Lead Program, where he spearheaded the creation of a lead-safe home where families could stay while their children were treated for lead poisoning. He doesn t seek the spotlight, said Dr. David Schonfeld, then the program s director. (Boston Globe)
Maquilapolis looks at life across the border Sep 12, 2009
She suffers from kidney damage and lead poisoning from her years of exposure to toxic chemicals. She earns 6 a day. (Nogales International, AZ)
Tenant advocates slam Sears Sep 11, 2009
Friday September 11, 2009. Mario Mazzoni, right, speaks out against Helen Sears’ vote on lead paint legislation and pledges his support to Danny Dromm. (Queens Chronicle, NY)
Price of lead drops 12% amid profit-taking Sep 11, 2009
Lead hit $2,511 on Tuesday, up 151 per cent this year, after a number of Chinese smelters were forced to close following reports that hundreds of children had been affected by lead poisoning. EDITORS CHOICE. (FT.com -- Markets)
Bridges to nowhere in Sonoma County Sep 10, 2009
Repairs get expensive because the paint originally used was lead-based and in order to remove the remaining paint, the entire bridge must be encased before paint removal to prevent exposing the waterway below to lead poisoning, says the report. The contractors must wear pressurized suits to protect themselves from lead exposure, and all paint particles must be vacuumed into a sealed container. (Sebastopol Sonoma West Publishing, CA)
China Stresses Prevention Of Heavy Metal Pollution Sep 9, 2009
(AP) China needs to work harder to fight heavy metal pollution following the recent discovery of clusters of severe lead poisoning involving hundreds of children, the country's environment minister said Thursday. More than 1,300 children in central Hunan province, 200 in Yunnan province and at least 615 in northern Shaanxi province tested positive for lead poisoning in the last month ... Lead poisoning can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and cause high blood pressure and memory loss.... (CBS News -- World)
US August payrolls fall 216,000, jobless rate 9.7 pct Sep 5, 2009
Lead is on course for a gain of more than 30 percent over the last two weeks, with supply fears dominating after the Chinese authorities, spooked by recent lead poisoning incidents, shut down polluting smelters. But news that shut-down lead smelters in China might reopen next month capped gains. (Business Report, South Africa)
Lead Surges to 16-Month High as China Vows to Shut Substandard Smelters Sep 4, 2009
Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can hurt brain function, the has said. There is no known safe blood level for children, according to Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the WHO in China. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
China Lead-Poisoning Arrestees Allegedly Linked to Falun Gong, AP Reports Sep 3, 2009
Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Police in Chinas Hunan province detained at least 15 parents for protesting against industrial pollution that left children with lead poisoning, the Associated Press reported. Officials have accused parents involved in the protests of having links to the Falun Gong spiritual organization, which is banned in China, according to the AP report from late yesterday evening. (Bloomberg -- Japan)
China detains 15 parents for lead poison protests Sep 3, 2009
BEIJING - Police in central China detained 15 parents for a violent protest over factory pollution that left hundreds of local children with lead poisoning. Authorities accused them of links to the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, villagers said yesterday. (Boston Globe)
AG's office tells Cambridge realty company it can't discriminate against children Sep 2, 2009
In addition, the Massachusetts Lead Paint Statute requires landlords who rent to families with children under the age of six to abate lead hazards in a rental unit in order to prevent lead poisoning. It is illegal to discriminate against families with children in order to avoid compliance with the lead paint law. (Cambridge Chronicle, MA)
Commodities at month low after crude falls Sep 2, 2009
5 per cent down to $2,095 a tonne on continued concerns about Chinese smelter closures following several cases of lead poisoning. In agriculture markets, raw sugar prices hit a fresh 28-year high on more buying from India to offset a large domestic shortfall. (FT.com -- Markets)
China’s bright future - and filthy present Sep 2, 2009
To name a few examples: a polluting smelter in Shaanxi province resulted in 600 children sick with serious lead poisoning; more than 500 residents near a chemical factory in Hunan province are suffering from cadmium poisoning; tap water contaminated by raw sewage in Inner Mongolia sickened 4,000 people. The Beijing-based magazine Caijing recently reported on how chemical pollution has contaminated the soil and rivers throughout Hunan province. (Boston Globe)
China faces 3rd case of kids' mass lead poisoning Aug 31, 2009
Two hundred children are suffering from lead poisoning in southwest China, the country's third such case of mass sickening in the past month, an official newspaper said Monday ... The Yunnan official overseeing the province's lead prevention office told The Associated Press that up to 60 percent of children under 14 are suffering from lead poisoning in areas of Yunnan with high mining activity including Dongchuan, where the industrial park is located ... Earlier this month, more than 1,300... (San Francisco Chronicle)
New lead scare in China Aug 31, 2009
Parents in southwestern China are accusing a local industrial park of causing lead poisoning in their children, state media said on Monday, in the latest in a slew of similar incidents to spark public ire. A hospital in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, has found that 200 out of 1000 children living near the industrial park had elevated levels of lead in their blood, the China Daily reported. (iAfrica.com)
EPA orders Doe Run to check lead levels Aug 30, 2009
According to government information, children are most at risk to lead poisoning because their bodies absorb lead more easily than adults and children often put objects into their mouths. Lead poisoning in children has been linked to damage to the nervous system, learning disabilities and lower IQ scores, among other problems. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Swan found with arrow piercing its side Aug 29, 2009
" The largest North American waterfowl with a wing span up to 9 feet, trumpeter swans were near extinction in the early 20th century but rebounded and are fairly common today. Senner estimated there are 18,000 in the Pacific Region, while lead poisoning in the Lower 48 has posed a problem. They're regularly seen at Potter Marsh. "There are hundreds of breeding pairs across the Kenai and north of here," said Thede Tobish, a local birding enthusiast. "They're a big draw for visiting birders... (Anchorage Daily News)
Viewpoint: Why China Could Turn Green Aug 27, 2009
You could drop in on Changqing, in northwestern Shaanxi province, where on Aug. 17 hundreds of people stormed a smelting plant blamed for toxic emissions that left more than 850 children with lead poisoning. Or there's Wenping, in central Hunan province, where days later 1,300 children were found to have been sickened by pollution from a manganese factory. (Time.com)
China's Lead Poisoning Scandals May Spur Industry Mergers, Macquarie Says Aug 26, 2009
Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Lead poisoning cases in China, the worlds largest producer of the metal, may foreshadow mergers among smelters as the government cracks down on polluting producers, an analyst at Macquarie Group Ltd. said. Government-ordered closures of small smelters with outdated technology may accelerate amid increased complaints about pollution, , a Macquarie analyst said in a phone interview from Shanghai today. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
Lead rises as more Chinese smelters shut Aug 26, 2009
Lead prices rose to an 11-month high on Tuesday as more Chinese smelters shut amid an industry-wide clampdown by Beijing following incidents of lead poisoning. China is the worlds largest producer and consumer of the toxic metal used to manufacture car batteries. (FT.com -- Markets)
Lead poisoning haunts Chinese smelter communities Aug 24, 2009
FENGXIAN, China (Reuters) - Ask people about lead poisoning in the lush mountains of northwestern China's Shaanxi province, and nearly everyone can recall a case. Lead poisoning in children living near a lead and zinc smelter in Changqing in Shaanxi and a manganese smelter in southern Hunan province made international headlines this month, after parents protested ... Interviews this weekend showed that lead poisoning is endemic among villages near Chinese smelters. (Scientific American)
LEAD POISONING Aug 24, 2009
Mon, 08:03 24 Aug 2009 GMT. (Fixes typo in paragraph 7). (AlertNet)
China Henan shuts up to 240,000 T lead capacity Aug 24, 2009
HONG KONG, Aug 24 (Reuters) - China's Henan, the top refined lead producing province in the country, has shut down up to 240,000 tonne of annual lead smelting capacity in recent days after lead poisoning was reported to have affected hundreds of children in Shaanxi province, smelter officials said on Monday ... China's fourth-biggest zinc producer Dongling Group is maintaining full production at two zinc lines with combined annual capacity of 150,000 tonnes in Shaanxi province, after shutting a... (AlertNet)
China to Start Lead Poisoning Investigation Aug 24, 2009
(BEIJING) Health and environmental officials have been sent to central China to investigate who is responsible for pollution from a manganese processing plant that caused more than 1,300 children to become sickened with lead poisoning, a local government official said Monday ... In Shaanxi province in northern China, at least 615 out of 731 children in two villages near the Dongling smelter in the town of Changqing have tested positive for lead poisoning ... Lead poisoning can damage the nervous... (Time.com)
China officials in smelter probe Aug 23, 2009
Two government officials in central China are being investigated after more than 1,300 children fell sick with lead poisoning, the local government says ... Another smelter in Shaanxi province was closed days earlier after 600 children there developed lead poisoning ... Lead poisoning can cause a range of health problems, from learning disabilities to seizures. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
China says 2 environment officials investigated Aug 23, 2009
WENPING, China (AP) -- Two environmental officials were being investigated Saturday after more than 1,300 children were sickened with lead poisoning caused by pollution from a manganese processing plant in central China ... Lead poisoning can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and cause high blood pressure and memory loss ... The government statement said 17 children who had high levels of lead poisoning were being treated at a hospital and receiving further tests. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
* Officials probed in lead scandal Aug 23, 2009
Village children chat in front of a closed kindergarten after its children allegedly suffered lead poisoning at the hands of the nearby Wugang Manganese Smelting Plant in Wenping Township, Hunan Province, China, yesterday ... The government statement said 17 children who had high levels of lead poisoning were in hospital and receiving further tests ... I heard that there was a problem with the lead poisoning in the town, so I went to have him checked. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
• Officials investigated in lead poisonings of China Aug 22, 2009
Officials investigated in lead poisonings of China By DAVID WIVELL Two environmental officials were under investigation Saturday after more than 1,300 children were poisoned by pollution from a manganese processing plant in central China ... Lead poisoning can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and cause high blood pressure and memory loss ... The government statement said 17 children who had high levels of lead poisoning were being treated at a hospital and receiving further tests. (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Children with lead poisoning jam China hospital Aug 22, 2009
Hundreds of children diagnosed with lead poisoning in Shaanxi Province, China ... In the last two weeks, so many children have been diagnosed with lead poisoning that there's barely enough room for everyone ... Lead poisoning can continue to occur via contaminated air, water, soil or food, especially crops grown in tainted areas. (CNN -- International)
Smelting plants blamed for poisoning 1300 children Aug 22, 2009
MORE than 1300 children living near smelting plants in China are suffering from lead poisoning ... Earlier this month, officials in the northern province of Shaanxi confirmed that 615 children from Changqing township had been affected by lead poisoning from a lead and zinc smelter built just a few hundred metres from their homes ... You really can't trust what the government tells you,'' said He Xiaojun, the father of He Haomin, 9, who suffers from nose bleeds and memory problems, common... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Lead poisoning scandals highlight China's lack of oversight Aug 22, 2009
A child is treated for lead poisoning Friday at a hospital in Changsha, Hunan province, China ... Beijing - Two lead poisoning scandals that have recently sickened more than 2,000 Chinese children point to the ignorance, the push for profits and jobs, and lax government oversight behind much of China's pollution ... In two separate lead poisoning cases to come to light this month, children living and going to school in the shadow of smelters belching toxic fumes have been found to have up to ten... (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
* Child lead poisoning cases surge in China Aug 21, 2009
Child lead poisoning cases surge in China ... A China Daily report had said that nearly 100 of 600 children being tested near the Wugang plant had lead poisoning ... In Shaanxi Province, at least 615 out of 731 children in two villages near the Dongling smelter in the town of Changqing have tested positive for lead poisoning, which can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and cause high blood pressure and memory loss. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Smelter poisons 1,354 children in China Aug 21, 2009
BEIJING - Lead pollution from a newly opened and unlicensed manganese smelter has poisoned more than 1,300 children in southeastern China s Hunan province, state-run media said yesterday, the second mass lead poisoning in the past month ... Lead poisoning damages the nervous and reproductive systems and can permanently cripple children s growth and intellectual development ... The report of poisoning in Wenping followed a similar event in Shaanxi province, in north-central China, where state... (Boston Globe)
China to close firms amid lead cases Aug 21, 2009
At least 851 children in Shaanxi province found to have lead poisoning ... BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China is shutting down a pair of smelting plants suspected of sickening several thousand children with lead poisoning, according to state-run media. (CNN -- International)
1,300 Chinese Kids Get Lead Poisoning Aug 21, 2009
In this photo taken on Aug. 19, 2009, villagers with their children affected by lead poisoning from the Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Co. plant receive medical treatment at a hospital in Fengxiang county, West of Xi'an, China ... (AP)04000 bsp; A Chinese state news agency says more than 1,300 children have been sickened by lead poisoning in Hunan province, the second such case involving a large of children in the last month ... In Shaanxi province in northern China, at least 615 out of 731... (CBS News -- Health)
China News 2009.08.19 Aug 21, 2009
Headlines: A smelting plant at the center of lead poisoning scandal has been shut down ... More children living near a smelting plant in northwest China's Shaanxi Province tested positive for lead poisoning ... PKG: As of Tuesday, 1016 children have been tested for lead poisoning in three villages: Madaokou, Sunjianantou and Gaozutou. (Xinhuanet, China)
Kids sickened from lead dust in family car Aug 21, 2009
ATLANTA - Some childhood lead poisonings in Maine last year came from an unusual source the family car ... But sometimes an obvious source of the lead poisoning is never found ... The CDC report looked at 66 cases of childhood lead poisoning in Maine in 2008. (MSNBC -- Health)
Mafia busting takes down senior cops and robbers Aug 21, 2009
More than 1300 children have been sickened by lead poisoning in Hunan province, the second such case involving a large number of children in the last month, Xinhua reported yesterday ... In Shaanxi province, in the country's north, at least 851 children in two villages near a smelter in Changqing tested positive for lead poisoning, which can damage the nervous and reproductive systems and cause high blood pressure and memory loss. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Lead poisoning stokes tensions in China Aug 20, 2009
Lead poisoning stokes tensions in Chinese town ... Children affected by lead poisoning from the Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Co. plant receive medical treatment at a hospital in Fengxiang county, West of Xi'an, China, on Wednesday ... That offers at least a temporary victory for the villagers, whose outrage came to a head after some 615 of 731 children in two villages near the plant tested positive earlier this month for lead poisoning. (MSNBC -- International)
China says 1,300 sickened in lead poisoning case Aug 20, 2009
BEIJING - More than 1,300 children have been sickened in a lead poisoning case in China's central Hunan province, the second such case involving a large number of children in the past month, state media said Thursday ... Xinhua said local authorities ordered the smelter shut last week and detained two of its executives on suspicion of "causing severe environment pollution." In Shaanxi province in northern China, at least 615 out of 731 children in two villages near the Dongling smelter in the... (ABC 7 News, DC)
'Hundreds ill' near China smelter Aug 20, 2009
This smelter in Shaanxi province is also blamed for lead poisoning. Authorities in China have closed a second metal smelter after more than 1,300 children fell sick with lead poisoning, state media have reported ... It follows the closure of another smelter in northern Shaanxi province, where more than 600 children were found to have lead poisoning. (BBC News)
