Three children in Australia contract lead poisoning from eyeliner

At least three children in Australia have fallen ill with lead poisoning linked to an eyeliner.

The children, all of whom are from the same family in Sydney, were all found to have higher than normal levels of lead in their blood by doctors. Health authorities were informed of the cases. An investigation was launched by New South Wales Fair Trading and the lead was traced back to an eyeliner that was imported from Pakistan. Testing revealed that two products from the same brand - Hashmi Surmi Special and Hashmi Khol Aswad eyeliners - had a lead content of 84 per cent, reports ABC News. "Some of the product packaging even specifically states that no lead is present, which is a total disgrace," said New South Wales better regulation minister Matt Kean. The eyeliners also contained high levels of metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury. The eyeliners are available to buy in some Pakistani and Indian shops in Sydney. Anyone using the products has been urged to stop immediately and to seek medical advice from their doctor. "I'm absolutely appalled by this as we know that the use of cosmetics containing lead can have long-term health effects, including brain and kidney damage, in both adults and children," added Mr Kean. Lead is highly toxic to the body and is especially dangerous to children under six. Even low levels of exposure can lead to long term intellectual disability.