Number of children with high blood lead levels doubles in Port Pirie, while toddlers show improvement

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Blood levels in children have risen in Port Pirie, the latest SA Health report has found. The state government and smelter operator say they’re doing all they can to reduce the levels, but community concerns remain.

Transcript

00:00 Not every child worries about blood tests, but in Port Pirie it's part of regular school

00:07 yard chatter.

00:08 One of my friends who has asthma really is stressed about it so I always help him talk

00:15 about it.

00:16 New data from 2022 to 2023 shows 66% of children under 5 in Port Pirie had a blood lead level

00:25 above 5 micrograms per deciliter.

00:28 The national standard for requiring investigation.

00:32 That's an increase of 1.6%.

00:35 And the number of children whose levels were equal to or exceeding 20 micrograms per deciliter

00:40 had doubled.

00:42 But the average blood lead levels for 2 year olds has decreased to 7.4 micrograms per deciliter.

00:49 The targeted lead abatement program has been operating for a decade to reduce lead levels

00:54 in the community.

00:55 It's a mixed report, we're always disappointed because we want every child to be below 5

00:59 micrograms per deciliter and we clearly know we're near that yet.

01:02 SA Health says the difference in results for 5 and 2 year olds could be due to historic

01:07 factors and climatic conditions.

01:10 Children that were born two years ago were born in a year that was good lead in air levels,

01:16 so lower lead in air levels.

01:18 There are mixed views in the community.

01:20 I reckon it's safe, I watch the Casminco cleaners go around with their hoses and stuff like

01:29 that and they do a bloody marvellous job.

01:32 That's pretty bad.

01:33 Nearstar says the report highlights the importance of the targeted lead abatement program, which

01:39 it contributes to along with the state government and local council.

01:43 The smelter owner says it will continue to work on short and long term initiatives and

01:47 infrastructure upgrades to improve the lead levels in the air.

01:51 But it's an issue that won't be easily solved.

01:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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