Hong Kong-based expats worry about blood lead levels, says doctor

A family doctor who has 15 years of experience treating lead poisoning cases says he's seen an increasing number of people who are worried about the lead levels in their bodies following the tainted water scare in several public housing estates.

Dr David Henderson, who runs a private clinic in Gold Coast, Tuen Mun, said many were expatriates living in private housing who wanted to know whether they should take a blood test to check for lead. The test costs around HK$400.

"I would first check their history and clinical symptoms," he said. "If I see a good reason, I would advise a test."

Briton Henderson, who was a military doctor for 25 years before practising in the city, said patients also asked whether they should test their household tap water for lead. He says "there is no harm in doing so".

Henderson said he had treated two-year-old twins in Hong Kong who were found to have excessive lead in their blood. But he thought the case might be related to rusty pipes in old European homes where the mother had been living.

He said he had also seen a one-year-old who had excessive levels of lead and who developed skin rashes. The infant's mother was a painter and spent years inhaling substandard paint in a closed flat in Europe. She had tested positive for excessive lead in her blood.