The government must end the use of leaded gasoline in the country or children would continue to show dangerously high levels of lead in their blood, environmentalists said Thursday.

Ahmad Safrudin, who heads the Joint Committee to Phase Out Leaded Gasoline non-governmental organization, said the government should immediately end the distribution of leaded gasoline throughout the country to reduce hazardous air pollution, which was a serious danger to public health.

Two studies conducted in Bandung, and Makassar in South Sulawesi, found that lead levels in the blood of school children tested had reached critical levels.

The studies said school-aged children in Bandung and street children in Makassar were at risk of brain damage with lead-blood levels reaching over the danger level of 10 micrograms a deciliter.

Research carried out in Makassar last year showed that 90 percent of street children aged between three and 12 years old, and 65.5 percent of elementary students in Bandung had blood lead levels above 10 mcg a deciliter.

Studies have shown levels above 10 mcg are believed to cause a 2.5-point decrease in IQ levels. High lead-blood levels in children can also cause anemia, growth disorders, poor disease resistance and even death.

Air pollution specialist Puji Lestari of the Bandung Institute of Technology, who carried out the research in Bandung, said there were correlations between high blood lead levels and low IQs.

"Children with high blood lead levels mostly have a moderately low IQs, while children with low blood lead levels generally have higher IQs," she said. High levels could also cause infertility for men and miscarriages in pregnant women.

Puji said the health hazards were an excellent reason for the government to phase out leaded gasoline nationwide.

M. Khidri Alwi, who coordinated the research in Makassar, said there was a major problem with air pollution in Makassar that could lead to child mortality. He believed youngsters in Makassar were more aggressive because of the poisonous substance.

Similar lead-blood research is planned in other major cities -- Surabaya, Palembang and Medan.

State Ministry for the Environment emissions evaluation head M. Didin Khaerudin said the ministry supported a nationwide campaign against leaded gasoline.

Such findings should further push the government to intensify its campaign against leaded petrol, he said.

The government is currently designing a strategic plan to improve the air quality in 10 cities -- Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Batam, Medan, Denpasar, Lampung, and Palembang.

It was not clear if the plan will include a program to eliminate leaded gasoline.

Safrudin slammed state oil and gas company Pertamina for refusing to phase out leaded gasoline in Indonesia.

In 1996, former president Soeharto was determined to eliminate leaded gasoline by December 1999, but Pertamina used the economic crisis as an excuse to delay the schedule, Safrudin said.

In 2001, Pertamina agreed to phase out leaded gasoline in limited areas, including Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi, Cirebon, Bali and Batam.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060324.C01