A study was conducted in Broken Hill, South Wales, to students who performed relatively poor in the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). It was found out that students who live or either attend school near a mine perform poorly compared to those who do not.
According to the study, the academic performance of primary school students in mining towns has links to their own hands and direct exposure to environmental contamination due to high amounts of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in the soil and the air.
Previous studies on lead exposure had been done in Broken Hill, but the recent research revealed other trace metals and metalloids were also abundant, which were easily accessible dust deposits in children's playgrounds - such as arsenic and cadmium. These metals have relatively caused similar neurological, developmental and other health problems.
Mark Taylor, Professor of Environmental Science, Macquire University, Sydney, stressed that students from districts with comparatively low levels of heavy metals in the environment scored better and, thus, had higher grades.
Professor Taylor added that 20 NAPLAN points or about five percent is the difference point between children attending in areas with the maximum soil lead risk and the ones with lower soil lead risk.
This study has the same results as those other Australia's two other major lead mining and smelting cities such as Mount Isa and Port Pirie. These impacts are consistent with other similar studies in the United States and a recent one in Port Pirie and Broken Hill.
Researchers have said that early exposure to lead and other toxic metals can harm the brain growth. However, damages on those children who have been long-time exposed could not be reversed. Yet, progress has been made now to reduce the exposure in the three mining towns.
Thus, the New South Wales Governments announced in February that they have funded a five-year $13 million program to address the issue of lead contamination and elevated blood lead levels among local children.
