-
ALSO READ
UK choice for World Health Organisation chief visits India Zika no longer a world public health emergency: WHO India won't meet National Health Policy 2017 targets: Ex-health secretary Why India needs more male health workers -- to tackle maternal-health crisis Mobile tower radiation has no adverse impact on human health: Minister -
Australian health officials on Tuesday warned of a "serious" incidence of children inhaling aviation fuel in the Northern Territory, the media reported.
Security camera footage showed children breaking into the remote Elcho Island Airport and siphoning fuel from planes, the BBC reported.
Petrol sniffing is not a new challenge to hit remote communities, but aviation fuel is even more dangerous because it contains lead, officials said.
Lead exposure can badly damage the brain and nervous system.
Health officials believe more than 100 youths - one as young as seven - have inhaled the fuel on Elcho Island and a nearby area since March 2016.
"Our kids are ending up in hospital by getting infected by chemicals, which is bad for them," an Aboriginal elder told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Nine children and one adult have been taken to Darwin for treatment.
A senior health official said the situation was "serious and of concern".
"Our local teams, as part of the community, are working tirelessly to support the families and prevent further incidents," he told the BBC.
Exposure to lead can cause profound and permanent health damage, especially to young children, according to the World Health Organisation.
As well as damaging the brain and nervous system, lead also poses an increased risk of miscarriage, high blood pressure and kidney damage.
--IANS
ksk/bg
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU