Local authorities in Paris stressed Thursday that lead contamination from the fire at Notre-Dame cathedral posed no danger to the public after claims in a media report that pollution in local schools had been covered up.
Environmental groups warned soon after the disaster that 300 tonnes of lead in the roof of the Paris landmark had gone up in flames, posing a danger to residents in the area, particularly to children.
A report from the Mediapart investigative website on Thursday reported that high levels of the heavy metal — as much as 10 times higher than the safe limit — had been detected in schools and creches surrounding the cathedral. Read more