Leaden heart

Those who understand what children mean to parents surely would not be surprised by the action of hundreds of parents, who stormed a smelting plant in northwest China's Shaanxi province on Monday after more than 800 local children fell ill due to lead and heavy metal discharge from the company.

The latest news that another 100 children were found suffering from lead poisoning in Wugang county of central China's Hunan province proved to be another appalling case of the serious lead pollution that is threatening the lives of numerous Chinese, especially children. However, the two high-profile cases have exposed only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to lead poisoning and other pollution in the country.

While blood lead level test is still not conducted on a wide scale among Chinese children, studies of 15 major Chinese cities a few years ago showed that the average blood lead level (BLL) of children aged under 6 reached 59.52 micrograms per liter of blood. The figures are considered substantially higher in areas with dense manufacturing industries. In the latest Hunan case, BLL of 232 micrograms and 362 micrograms per liter of blood was found in a villager's two daughters.