Port Pirie suffers high lead exposure

Image:Seashalia via Pixabay

Concerns about blood lead levels in the South Australian town of Port Pirie are at an all-time high after recent research suggested lead levels in two-year-olds averaged 5.7 millilitres per decilitre, 0.7 above the recommended limit.

It’s a battle between public health and economic security, as zinc and lead manufacturer Nyrstar is the town’s biggest employer.

Produced By: Tia Ewen, and Soph Landau

Featured In Story: Dr David Simon, Scientific Services Branch Director, SA Health, and Dr Mark Taylor, Professor from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University

First aired on The Wire, Thursday, 04 March 2021