According to the South Australian Department for Health and Wellbeing, the blood levels of children in a regional South Australian town show increased lead testing. The report shows that all but one blood level indicator had deteriorated during the reporting period.
Dr David Simon, who is the Director of Scientific Services, explained that the “2020 report provides a snapshot of the past ten years where we can see the recent deterioration in blood lead levels begin.”
“While these new results are very disappointing, they were not unexpected given the upward trend in average lead-in-air levels reported by the Environment Protection Authority through 2020 compared to 2019, when the smelter was shut-down for extended periods of time.”
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines determine that the blood lead levels of children in the area are reported against the exposure investigation level of five micrograms per decilitre.
The number of children with blood lead levels equal to or exceeding the accepted exposure limit significantly rose from 13 children in 2019 to 16 children in 2020.
“The increased lead-in-air contributed to the amount of lead-contaminated dust deposited in homes and public spaces across Port Pirie during the year, meaning more people were likely exposed,” Dr Simon said.
“As a result, the improvements we saw in the first half of 2020 were not sustained and continued to plateau for the rest of the year.
“Despite the challenging environment, families in Port Pirie do an excellent job protecting their homes from lead exposure.
“Young children absorb lead very quickly and spend much of their awake time in areas that can be easily contaminated such as floors and soil, and ongoing efforts to reduce lead exposure within the community remains the highest priority.”