400 kids fall ill after inhaling paint

The owner of a furniture company has been arrested for allegedly using benzene-laden paint which resulted in the hospitalisation of over 400 school students in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Investigators said the owner of Panjin Yixian School Facility factory tried to cut cost by using paint meant for outdoor use on furniture supplied to the Shalingzhen School since April 24. The fumes caused sickness among the children who complained nausea, headaches, dizziness and weakness of limbs. Ten children were reported to be still in the hospital on Tuesday, all of them in a stable condition. Tests by the Panjin Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision (PBQTS) showed that benzene concentration emitted from the desks and chairs was 1.12 times higher than the recommended safety level. Officials also examined unsold furniture in the factory and found that benzene concentration was 9.7 times higher than the safety level. Earlier, tests by the PBQTS indicated formaldehyde concentrations in the classrooms were double the legal limit of 0.1 milligrams per cubic meter. But officials said the symptoms of formaldehyde poisoning, sore throat, coughing and irritation of eyes, were different to the symptoms suffered by the school children. The local government has directed the primary section of the school to suspend classes.