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More than 300 children with lead poisoning in Shaanxi province will receive free medical treatment, according to a local official.

The children all live near Changqing industrial park in Fengxiang county.

Ma Shengqin, a farmer living near the industrial park, told China Daily yesterday that the lead in their blood is more than 250 mg per liter.

The normal lead content in blood ranges from zero to 100 mg per liter and health is affected if the content is over 200 mg per liter.

Ma said his children sleep more than before, cannot concentrate and react very slowly.

All other children have similar symptoms.

Fears were first raised over the health of local children when a parent took her child to the doctor in July.

The child was confirmed as suffering from lead poisoning and other parents, noticing similar symptoms in their children, also took their children to the doctor.

Local people believe that the nearby Shaanxi Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Factory was to blame for the poisoning..

"The factory is only about 400 to 500 m away from our houses," said a parent, surnamed Xue, 33.

In 2006, the factory was required to help relocate the nearby villagers because the lead from their production could harm people's health.

But so far only 100 of 581 households have been moved.

Many regions in Western China have introduced high-polluting industries without necessary environmental evaluation to boost the local economy, but the developments sometimes impact the health of local people.

Environmentalists urged the development model be changed to ensure people's health and safety.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op'Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily's Website opinion section.

He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.