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According to the Associated Press, two hundred
children are suffering from lead poisoning in southwest China, the country''s third such case of mass
sickening in the past month. Parents in Tongdu, a township in Yunnan province''s
capital of Kunming, blamed the poisoning on a
nearby industrial park while local environmental
officials attributed it to vehicle exhaust, the China
Daily reported. Earlier this month, more than 1,300 children in central
Hunan province and at least 615 children in northern Shaanxi
province tested positive for lead poisoning, which can damage the nervous
and reproductive systems and cause high blood pressure
and memory loss. Those cases have been linked to
metal processing plants near their homes and schools. Both plants have been
shut down. Anger is growing in China over public
safety scandals in which children have been the main victims. The ruling Communist party is worried that mass protests will
threaten the country''s social stability and challenge its grip on power. Mining
is one of the biggest industries in Yunnan, a mountainous region that is home
to many of China''s ethnic minorities and has large deposits of zinc, lead, tin
and other metals, according to the provincial government''s Web site. China''s
economic growth has caused serious environmental problems. For decades, many
companies dumped poisons into rivers and the ground, counting on the
acquiescence of local governments unwilling to
damage their economic lifelines.
