China faces reckoning over lead production

As we have mentioned in this blog, lead poisoning is a major problem in different areas of the world, especially in developing nations. This problem is becoming a big problem in China. In Jiyuan, China, where a large amount of car battery factories are located, villages are being evacuated due to lead poisoning. Of these people being evacuated, the children are in the worst health due to the fact that lead demonstrates a stronger toxic effect in children. Some of the children have blood levels of lead that reach 355 micrograms per liter (anything over 100 is dangerous). The inhabitants of the town commented that the children are shrinking away. Even the older inhabitants are experiencing mental problems like loss of short-term memory. The heavy amount of pollution in this province not only has poisoned the inhabitants but has also presented some social problems. Resident Han Haibo stated, "People don't want to leave, especially the old people who have spent their whole lives here, but the pollution is just too heavy."

China is the largest producer and consumer of lead. It also has some of the highest pollution levels in the world. The residents of Jiyuan also mentioned that looking at the landscape is like looking out of a dirty windshield. Due to the production of electrolytic lead for car batteries, there is a fine dust of metal in the air. The main reason why everyone in this area is becoming ill is due to the fact that the children play in that polluted environment and the whole area eats food grown from that polluted land. The worst piece of information in this whole story is that the residents of this area allowed the car battery companies to build their factories in that location. This decision was made mainly due to the lucrative jobs and lifestyles the car battery companies could provide for their families. For the time being, I believe that the inhabitants of this area need to vacate and find another residence despite the economic effects. Health is the most valuable asset any of these people can have and without that life is meaningless.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fg-china-lead14-2009nov14,0,963625.story