Lead poisoning has been diagnosed in hundreds of children living near two metal smelting plants in China, say China’s state news agency, Xinhua, and other media in China.

Of 1016 children living in three villages near the Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Company plant in the central Shaanxi province who underwent blood tests to measure lead concentrations, 851 have excessive lead, including 174 serious cases. In one village 236 of the 285 children have lead poisoning. The number of villages where children will be offered free tests has been widened, and tests of adults living in villages closest to the plant have shown dangerously high levels of lead and …