Exposure to low levels of lead could be harming the development of British schoolchildren, researchers warned today.

Lead in water pipes, soil, dust, pottery and toys could be stunting emotional and intellectual growth, they said.

Experts from the University of Bristol found that even blood lead levels well below the 'safe' threshold were still having an effect.

Their research, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, said the current safety threshold above which blood lead levels give cause for concern is 10 micrograms per decilitre.

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