More than 55 children living near a battery factory in Jiangsu Province's Dafeng city have abnormally high levels of lead in their blood. The local government has shut the factory responsible.

 

In Dafeng city's rural area, children who had excessive amounts of lead in their blood are receiving nonmedical treatment in their homes. Their parents say since the factory opened three years ago, children in the village seem to be malnourished and are constantly vomiting.

A mother of poisoned child said, "My child is not active as before. He always cries and says his waist and legs ache. We have to constantly massage him. "

Doctors recommend children whose lead content in their blood is higher than normal 100 miligrams per liter, but below 200 milligram, eat calcium-rich foods.

Ni Zhiyong, Vice Director of Dafeng Health Bureau, said, "The lead poisoning involves 55 children in two villages. We tested nearly 250 children. Of them, 46 have excessive lead exposure. 3 have what is being called as light poisoning. 6 have medium poisoning."