An environmental scientist says a new study he conducted in Mount Isa in north-west Queensland shows mining emissions are contaminating some homes.

The study has been commissioned by Slater and Gordon, which is taking legal action against the mining giant Xstrata, the Mount Isa City Council and the Queensland Government over high blood-lead levels in children.

Dr Mark Taylor, from the Macquarie University, conducted the survey and took more than 100 samples from homes and roadside areas around the city.

He says all household samples exceeded recommended lead levels.

Dr Taylor says one dust swipe from a window sill showed lead levels more than 40 times greater than international standards.

“That gives you an idea of the dust lead loading that’s coming into these houses,” he said.

“The problem arises I think as a result of dust in the atmosphere falling onto houses and children ingesting that.”

Xstrata says it would like to see the study but says it is cautious about any report commissioned by lawyers acting against it.

The company has questioned whether the report is scare-mongering to support the legal case against it.