A third of children’s playgrounds and day care centers built before 2009 were found to have harmful metals at levels exceeding government safety standards, according to the Ministry of Environment.

The ministry announced Wednesday the results of its survey of 700 playgrounds and 300 indoor facilities that were established before the government began to regulate environmental safety of new construction more strictly under a 2009 law.

Of the 1,000 places, 322 failed to meet the safety standards. In 641 facilities, metal and wooden structures had eroded due to lack of regular supervision.

The survey also found 243 outdoor sites used varnish and finishing materials which contained more heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury than the ministry standards permitted.

Synthetic rubber floorings were tested in 396 locations to measure the concentration of heavy metals, and 30 sites exceeded ministry standards.

The ministry renovated 12 playgrounds and seven day care centers that contained excessive heavy metals, said Kim Geum-im, an official at the Ministry of Environment.

“Heavy metals can cause neurological disorders, and especially in case of young children it can cause permanent damage to their nervous system and bring about hearing disorder, anemia, and behavioral and learning disorder,” the official said.

Since 2009, the ministry has been inspecting venues for children built prior to 2009 to detect concentrations of heavy metals and preservatives.

Compared to 2011, the percentage of facilities exceeding the standard dropped by 17.8 percent in 2012.

By Lee Sang-ju (sjlee370@heraldcorp.com)