Port Pirie Lead Report Delivers Mixed Results for 2025
SA Health has released its annual blood lead levels report for the regional city of Port Pirie, presenting a complex picture of progress and persistent challenges. While most indicators for children under five showed significant improvement in 2025, a dramatic spike in two-year-olds has raised alarms among health authorities.
Overall Improvements in Key Metrics
The data indicates that children aged under five in Port Pirie recorded their best results since 2018. In 2025, 59.2 percent of those tested had blood lead levels above five micrograms per decilitre, marking a 9.2-point drop from the previous year. This decline is a positive sign in the ongoing battle against lead exposure.
Furthermore, the proportion of children with levels at or above 10 micrograms fell to 20.3 percent, the lowest rate in a decade. Even more encouraging, the number of children with extremely high readings above 20 micrograms decreased from 18 to 10, reflecting a reduction in severe cases.
Pregnant individuals also saw improvements, with average blood lead levels dropping to 1.3 micrograms per decilitre. These gains suggest that targeted health interventions and environmental efforts are having a measurable impact on vulnerable populations.
Concerning Spike in Two-Year-Old Children
Despite these advances, the report highlights a troubling trend among children tested at their second birthday. This age group is considered the most reliable indicator of long-term lead exposure, and their results were the worst in a decade.
In 2025, 79.8 percent of two-year-olds had blood lead levels above five micrograms per decilitre, representing a 14.8-point jump from previous years. The proportion with levels above 10 micrograms rose to 29.4 percent, while the average blood lead level climbed to 7.2 micrograms per decilitre.
Dr Chris Lease, SA Health's Executive Director of Health Protection and Regulation, commented on the findings. "The 2025 report shows a promising improvement in blood lead measures for children under five years of age living in Port Pirie as well as pregnant women," he said. "While this is encouraging, the deterioration in results for two-year-old children suggests that some segments of the community continue to be at high risk of lead exposure in Port Pirie."
Environmental Factors and Ongoing Efforts
Children born in 2023 experienced periods of higher lead-in-air readings in parts of Port Pirie, combined with record-low rainfall that left the city more prone to airborne contamination. Lead can linger in the body for months, meaning children heavily exposed in infancy may still show elevated levels at age two, even if recent exposure has eased.
Dr Lease emphasised the need for sustained environmental action. "These results highlight the need for ongoing efforts to reduce lead contamination in Port Pirie, as well as identifying and removing lead in the community from historic and current smelter operations," he stated. "Low rainfall and dry, dusty conditions make these efforts all the more important. Reducing and sustaining low environmental lead levels is the only way to achieve a decline in children's exposure to lead and blood lead levels over time."
The Nyrstar smelter in Port Pirie has reported fluctuating lead-in-air levels over the past year. The company is required to follow an Environment Improvement Programme with strict actions and timelines aimed at reducing emissions. Dr Lease noted that local families and frontline health teams are doing "an excellent job" in reducing exposure at home, and the smelter has been making significant capital improvements expected to result in sustained reductions in lead-in-air levels once complete.
Collaborative Path Forward
Long-term progress will depend on a coordinated approach involving multiple stakeholders. Dr Lease stressed the importance of partnership, saying, "We will continue to work in close partnership with all relevant stakeholders on the effective management of existing legacy lead in the community by preventing the creation and distribution of dust. All these elements combined are key to minimising the amount of lead in children's bodies."
As Port Pirie navigates these challenges, the 2025 report serves as a reminder that while strides have been made, vigilance and continued effort are essential to protect the health of future generations.
