China has closed down a manganese smelter after more than 1,300 children living near it were found to suffer from lead poisoning, state media said yesterday.
The scandal marks the third public case of metal contamination in less than a month. It comes at a time when the Chinese government has become increasingly worried about the environmental and health costs of pollution, and rising public anger over the problem.
Authorities closed the Jinglian manganese smelter in Wenping town in southern Hunan province and detained two executives after 1,354 children were diagnosed with excessive lead levels in their blood, Xinhua, the official news agency, reported yesterday.