Blood lead levels among Port Pirie children remain high, but there has been a slight drop over the last year in some levels, South Australia Health's annual report shows.
Those two-year-olds who were tested for lead in the blood continue to record the highest level in a decade at 7.3 micrograms per decilitre of blood (µg/dL).
Port Pirie has a long history of struggling to mitigate harmful lead contamination from Nyrstar's lead smelter.
SA Health Scientific Services director David Simon said there had been a decrease of children with blood lead levels in the highest recording categories.
"The results published today show the deterioration reported on in late 2020 and early 2021 may be stabilising, with early indications that improved trends may be starting to resume," Dr Simon said.
"It is too early to predict if this trend will continue, but we are cautiously optimistic that these results may indicate a gradual reduction in the exposure of children to lead."
Overall, 15 children had blood lead levels equal to or exceeding 20 µg/dL measured in 2020, which reduced in 2021 to six children.
Thirty-eight children had blood lead levels equal to or exceeding 15 µg/dL, the same amount as a decade ago in 2012.
International and national health bodies state no level of lead in blood is safe for children.
Reduction measures
There have been measures taken by the local council, state government and smelter operator Nyrstar to reduce lead contamination in Port Pirie.
Recently, the government appointed Peter Dolan, a veteran of the state's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), to run Port Pirie's Targeted Lead Abatement Program (TLAP).
"We welcome the newly reconfigured TLAP board that will strengthen how our key groups work together across agencies in reducing lead in the community," Dr Simon said.
Historically, lead management often fell on the parents of children to alleviate high blood lead levels.
"Families are doing an excellent job in reducing their children's exposure to lead, but sustaining improved lead-in-air levels alongside effective management of lead in the community, is key to keeping blood lead levels low," he said.
A number of changes were proposed to TLAP at the time of Mr Dolan's appointment, including direct input in the program from the Port Pirie Regional Council and further transparency in the program's operations.
Another measure was to release children's lead in blood data annually as opposed to quarterly.
According to SA Health data, there has been a rise in the total number of children who have been voluntarily tested in Port Pirie.
