Lead mines at Broken Hill, one of Australia鈥檚 biggest mining communities,
are being blamed for excessive levels of the metal in more than a quarter
of the city鈥檚 young children. Tests on 300 children aged between one and
four years found that 28 per cent of them have concentrations of lead in
the blood above the Australian safety limit of 250 micrograms per litre.
The New South Wales Health Department, which conducted the tests, says
that although old lead-based house paint and petrol cannot be ruled out
as possible factors, the most likely source of contamination is the city鈥檚
open-cut and underground lead mines. The city has been a major source of
lead, zinc and silver ore for more than 100 years.
