Hundreds of people angry about the lead poisoning of their children attacked a metal smelting plant suspected of causing the problem.

About 100 police officers were sent to Shaanxi province's Changqing township after villagers broke into the smelting plant Monday.

The protesters broke down the fence surrounding a special plant railway. Police say they are in control of the scene, but at least 10 trucks were damaged.

Chinese boy gets treatment for lead poisoning at a hospital in Changqing, north China's Shaanxi province, 15 Aug 2009
Chinese boy gets treatment for lead poisoning at a hospital in Changqing, north China's Shaanxi province, 15 Aug 2009
The attack comes after medical tests revealed at least 615 children in two nearby villages have excessive levels of lead in their blood. These children live near the Dongling Lead and Zinc Smelting Company plant.

Lead poisoning occurs when the body absorbs lead, either by eating it or breathing it in. Dr. Marie Shieh of Beijing United Family Hospital says children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults.

"They absorb the lead more easily in their digestive tract, and they have gaps in their blood-brain barrier that allows the lead to be deposited in their brain," said Shieh.

Some of the children tested in Shaanxi have blood lead lev ... Xem thêm