Pregnant women and children living near the fire-ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral have been advised to take blood tests over fears of lead contamination.
The warning has been issued after tests showed a child from the Île de la Cité area of Paris had been exposed to lead.
Health authorities said lead levels in the child’s blood exceeded regulatory limits.
Officials say that blaze that destroyed the cathedral on April 15 released toxic substances.
Some 300 tonnes of lead from the cathedral’s roof and steeple had melted in the blaze, risking contamination to surrounding areas.
An investigation has been launched to check if the causes of the child’s high lead levels could be other than the 15 April fire, the Paris regional health authority said in a statement on Monday. The child showed a level above the regulatory limit level of 50 microgrammes per litre of blood.
The authority said that as a precaution it was asking families with children aged under seven and pregnant women living on the Île de la Cité to consult their GPs so they could be prescribed a blood test for lead levels.
Authorities acknowledge that the Notre Dame fire caused lead to leak into the air and ground around the cathedral. They say there is no general risk to the public but certain areas have been closed off while people with apartments close to the cathedral are being given specific advice on how to clean up.
Via The Guardian
