Leukemia cases prompt concerns from parents

Diagnoses of leukemia in two students from a primary school in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, have triggered concerns from parents, who worry that the reports are not a coincidence.

Parents of the two students, from Linhu Experimental Primary School in the city's Wuzhong district, worry that the simultaneous leukemia reports could be a result of potential pollution from the new teaching buildings and sports facilities that were finished two years ago.

The Linhu township's government confirmed the cases of leukemia, which were diagnosed in May, but it remains unclear whether the illnesses were caused by environmental pollution at the school, the Beijing Times reported on Wednesday.

Public information shows that construction and interior decoration of the school's multiple facilities, including the teaching buildings, library and lecture hall, were finished in July, 2014, while the rubber running tracks were finished earlier in the year.

The facilities were put into use in September that year, which the parents considered too early to ensure safe air quality.

The school claims that all the facilities meet environmental standards and it has published the test results by several institutes on its website.

An employee from the school president's office, who refused to tell his name, said further tests will be conducted soon in response to the parents' requests.

He said the students will be taking their final exams until Friday. After that, the school will negotiate with the student's parents to choose a qualified testing institute for further tests.

"But only representatives elected by the students' parents can participate in the negotiations," said the employee.