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Asylum Seekers in Greece at Risk of Lead Poisoning, Activists Warn

Anthee Carassava

   ATHENS - Bullet casings, weapons and unexploded mortars have been found
   at a military firing range-turned refugee camp in Greece, endangering
   the lives of thousands of asylum seekers and aid workers. International
   activists, though, are most concerned about potential lead poisoning
   which the heavy metals and their residue have left behind.

   The shocking revelation comes amid calls by Human Rights Watch for
   authorities on the island of Lesbos to suspend ongoing construction at
   the Kara Tepe camp and instead survey the soil of the former firing
   range for ordnance and potentially poisonous concentrations of lead.
   "Academic research has shown that firing ranges are sites with soil
   lead contamination, meaning that anyone living or working on a former
   firing range could be exposed to lead through dust or soil,"said
   Katarina Rall, a senior researcher at HRW who was involved in an
   extensive study of the Kara Tepe camp. "So based on the research, we
   are concerned about the risk of lead poisoning for those living and
   working there, in particular, small children and pregnant people."

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