GUANGZHOU - Thirty-seven people, including at least 15 children, have been confirmed to be suffering from lead poisoning in South China's Guangdong province, local authorities said Thursday.

Sixty-nine people in Dongtang township of Renhua county had their blood tested around the middle of the month, with 37 people diagnosed as having excessive levels of lead in their blood, according to the Shaoguan city government, which administers Renhua county.

Local authorities detected no excessive levels of lead in underground water sources and are working to check the soil for traces of lead, the city government said in a statement.

Local health authorities are arranging for more local residents to have their blood tested, and environmental protection authorities are monitoring emissions coming from nearby businesses to find a possible source of contamination.