Tianying, China

Sources of Pollution and Impacts

Pollution levels in many Chinese cities frequently exceed World Health Organization standards. The World Bank has also reported that 20 of the world's 30 most polluted cities are found in China. Tianying's residents have experienced this firsthand, as they are burdened by chronic air pollution largely derived from poorly regulated lead refineries that use primitive battery recycling and lead smelting technologies. Typically, peddlers collect old batteries and sell them to “backyard” operators, who then render down the batteries to retrieve the lead, which is then refined with low-grade technologies and eventually used to make new batteries.

However, unregulated rendering and refining operations have resulted in chronic lead pollution. Recent studies have found that lead levels in Tianying's air and soils exceed national health standards by as much as 8.5 to 10 times the acceptable limits. Researchers have also found that agricultural land is badly contaminated—local wheat contains up to 24 times the acceptable levels of lead prescribed by Chinese food safety authorities. Standards for suspended lead particulates are exceeded about 85 percent of the time. In the absence of pollution abatement measures, up to 140,000 people have been directly affected by heavy metals and other toxic substances. Other air pollution sources include sulfur dioxide and various particulates (not only iron oxides, but also oxides of mercury, cadmium, arsenic, antimony, and copper). Some sources suggest that chlorides, fluorides, and other chemical contaminants may be present too. In addition, minimal waste treatment practices mean local waterways are contaminated with high levels of lead and arsenic, suspended solids, and hydrocarbons.

[Page 420]Pollution has taken a serious toll on the health of Tianying's residents. Kidney damage, anemia, and brain damage affect both children and adults. Miscarriages, premature babies, birth defects, and lead poisoning of children are common. Children under 6 have suffered most: The mean blood lead levels of children living in polluted areas have been recorded at 496 μg/L (the norm in China is 100 μg/L). The insidious effects of lead poisoning include lower IQs, learning disabilities, attention deficit problems, hyperactivity, hearing and vision disabilities, stomach and colon irritation, kidney damage, anemia, and in severe cases, brain damage.

Government Action

In 2003, China's Xinhua News Agency reported that the local environmental protection administration had ordered a halt to all lead production in Jieshou City and Taihe County. Processing plants were to be relocated to a specialized industrial park, and new technology was to replace crude processing plants. Agricultural land in proximity to the old industries was to be abandoned, and farmers were to be required to have regular health examinations. However, a more recent 2006 report from the same news agency suggested that despite the official order, Jieshou City has continued to process 160,000 tons of lead each year in unregulated plants—mostly from recycled lead-acid batteries.

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