Lead link to development
EXPOSURE to low levels of lead could be harming the development of British schoolchildren, researchers warned yesterday.
Lead in water pipes, soil, dust, pottery and toys could be stunting emotional and intellectual growth, they said.
Experts from the University of Bristol found that even blood lead levels well below the "safe" threshold were associated with poorer behaviour and academic performance
Their research, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, said the current safety threshold above which blood lead levels give cause for concern is 10 micrograms per decilitre.
The World Health Organisation estimates that half of all children under five living in cities and towns around the world have blood lead levels above this mark.
Blood samples were taken from 488 children at 30 months and their performance assessed when they were seven.
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Weather for Edinburgh
Monday 13 February 2012
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Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
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