THE withdrawal of government advice about lead poisoning is being partly attributed to an investigation by a Glasgow-based TV production company.
Tonight, Channel 4’s main news programme – from 7pm – is expected to report that UK government advice, suggesting that people exposed to low levels of lead pollution don’t suffer serious illness, has been withdrawn after it was criticised as inaccurate by experts.
Following a Firecrest Films/Channel 4 News investigation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) yesterday removed from its website an official leaflet saying that serious health problems “rarely” occur unless people have at least 100 microgrammes of lead per decilitre of blood in their bodies.
This is ten times higher than the levels which scientists now say can cause heart disease, brain damage and cancer.
Firecrest Films was set up in September last year by former BBC Panorama and Newsnight producer, Nicole Kleeman. It is based in Glasgow.
The lead investigation is the fifth investigative film the company has made for Channel 4 News.
It was made in collaboration with Scots freelance journalist, Rob Edwards – arguably best known as the Sunday Herald’s environment editor.
