China finds cover-up in lead poisoning of 200 children

Who is responsible for the environmental disaster?

The cover-up of lead poisoning that has sickened hundreds of children in China's rural areas has angered the public and prompted an investigation by the government. Officials in the city of Dingzhou, located in the northern province of Hebei, have been accused of hiding the severity of the lead contamination in the area. It is believed that the contamination stems from a defunct battery recycling facility, with reports indicating that the toxic waste was used as landfill for a nearby village road.

The impact of lead poisoning

Lead poisoning can cause severe physical and mental damage, including neurological problems and learning disabilities in children. Due to the cover-up, many families in the area are just now becoming aware of the hazard, and the extent of the damage to their children. Officials have promised to resolve the issue and help affected families, though it's unclear how many victims there are or what the long-term impacts may be.

The threat of lead contamination

This isn't the first time lead poisoning has been covered up in China. A similar incident occurred in 2016 in the industrial city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Officials there tried to cover up a child lead poisoning epidemic linked to a battery factory. The cover-up only ended when a brave nurse went public with concerns after seeing the horrors of lead poisoning firsthand. Unfortunately, the nurse, Tang Jinhai, has since disappeared along with his wife and child, and is assumed to be in hiding or possibly detained by the government.

Government response

In response to the latest lead poisoning incident, the Chinese government has launched an investigation into the cover-up, as well as broader inspections of pollution across the country. While the environmental disasters of lead poisoning are frightening, they are just one of many threats facing China's rural communities. Between unsafe waste disposal, air pollution, and destructive mining practices, China's rural populations are continually under threat of serious health and environmental crises.