Electric Car Factory Probed for Reportedly Causing Nosebleeds in Hundreds of Children

China’s largest electric vehicle maker is being investigated by authorities after its factory was accused of emitting pollution that caused nosebleeds in hundreds of children nearby.

More than 700 children who live close to the production plant of the automaker, BYD, in the central Chinese city of Changsha were said to have had repeated nosebleeds since April, according to the results of an online survey seen by VICE World News. Conducted anonymously by residents in the Yuhua district, the survey found that over 100 children who lived in the vicinity of the factory experienced multiple nosebleeds a day and 90 percent of them were under the age of 12.

Several hundred residents rallied outside the company on Friday to protest against what they said were harmful pollutants, Chinese outlets reported. “The toxins are poisoning people day and night,” demonstrators are seen chanting in front of a gate to the company’s campus in a video shared on Chinese social media. VICE World News could not independently verify when the footage was taken.

The Changsha government said Sunday it had created a task force with independent assessment agencies and experts to investigate the factory. Some of the production lines at the factory have been halted, a state-affiliated outlet reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of the company have fallen more than 5 percent in China and Hong Kong since Friday.

Residents complained of a stinging odor that had pervaded the neighborhood since April. Besides reporting nosebleeds and skin rashes in children, some adults said they also developed symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and persistent coughs.

“It is particularly irritating at night—the air smells like burnt wires,” a woman named Yang told Sixth Tone in an article that has since been removed. Her 4-year-old daughter had three nosebleeds last week and complained of a headache, according to the article. “I don’t know what the consequences will be in the long run,” Yang said.

“Many residents loved to go outdoors for leisure before,” another mother told the outlet, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions for speaking to the media. “But now we don’t even venture out for a stroll.”

Sixth Tone did not say why it removed the article. The car manufacturer has reportedly issued a letter to a social media platform, Toutiao, requesting the removal of several posts about the allegations, citing the lack of factual basis.

In a statement issued on Saturday, BYD said online rumors suggesting its emissions had exceeded limits and caused nosebleeds were a “malicious fabrication.” It had reported the matter to the police and would pursue legal actions, it added. The company did not immediately respond to VICE World News’ requests for comment.

BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, was hailed as the first Chinese automaker to stop making internal combustion engine-only cars—a decision it announced last month. The move was in response to Beijing’s goal of bringing carbon emissions to a peak by 2030. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is one of the company’s biggest investors with a 7.9 percent stake.

“The allegations against the company remind us that reducing carbon emissions does not mean that automakers can neglect the environmental impact of their manufacturing process,” Bao Hang, a project leader for Greenpeace Asia in Beijing, told VICE World News. “This lesson should not apply only to BYD but to all automakers.”

According to documents shared by the environmental group, the factory in Changsha previously violated regulations on wastewater discharge in 2017. In September, a random inspection carried out by the local ecology and environment ministry found that the plant’s automatic monitoring and management of pollution sources were not up to standards and its emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exceeded regulatory standards. It was placed under a government watchlist as a result.

Exposure to VOC could cause eye, nose and throat irritation, and nausea as well as allergic skin reaction, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A 2019 study in Beijing found some correlation between air pollutants and the incidence of nosebleeds in children.