Recently, a kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province was reported to have children with abnormal blood lead levels, causing social concern. Following the incident, many parents brought their children to Xi’an Central Hospital in a neighboring province for examination and treatment. Currently, over forty children have been found to have abnormal blood lead levels. According to parents, the test results notified by the relevant departments in Tianshui were normal, but severe exceedances were only discovered after testing in Xi’an.
According to a report by China News Weekly on July 4th, as of now, over two hundred children from the implicated kindergarten have undergone blood tests, with over forty children exceeding the safety standard of 100 micrograms per liter for lead levels. Among them, a 5-year-old girl recorded a lead level of 379 micrograms per liter, meeting the criteria for “moderate lead poisoning.”
Reported by The Paper, on the morning of the 5th, there were still many parents of children who had their blood tested at Xi’an Central Hospital waiting for results in the pediatric inpatient department. Many parents also brought their children from Tianshui to queue for testing.
Staff in the testing department on the sixth floor mentioned that due to a sudden surge in testing volume, they are unable to see the results of the tests conducted yesterday (4th) yet, asking parents to wait for phone notifications. Children tested today may take up to a week to receive results as the hospital can only provide 50 results per day at the moment.
The medical staff reassured parents that since the day before yesterday, there have been a continuous flow of children coming for blood lead testing, with over three hundred children tested in total yesterday. Today, many parents are still bringing their children for testing, with a majority of them being children from Tianshui.
On the night of July 4th, the pediatric ward at the hospital was full, with four additional beds placed in the hallway, and three children from two families were accommodated on the floor above in the geriatric ward due to the shortage of pediatric beds. Many parents, after securing a bed, took their children to stay in guesthouses.
Multiple parents presented testing reports from Xi’an Central Hospital indicating lead levels exceeding normal values, with some children’s lead levels surpassing 400 micrograms per liter. However, according to parents, the previous notifications from the authorities in Tianshui had assured them of their children’s normal blood lead test results.
A parent of a 6-year-old child mentioned that their child’s lead level, as indicated by the testing report from the Poison Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Xi’an Central Hospital, was 441 micrograms per liter. In contrast, the local test results showed 33.78 micrograms per liter, falling within the normal range.
Another parent of a 4-year-old child shared that the authorities in Tianshui had informed them over the phone that their child’s test results were normal. However, upon testing in Xi’an, the latest results showed 359 micrograms per liter.
One parent disclosed, “The testing in Tianshui didn’t provide us with written reports; the results were only verbally communicated. That’s why we came to Xi’an where at least they provide testing reports.”
Regarding the stark discrepancies in the testing results between the two locations, the media attempted to contact the Market Supervision Administration of Maiji District in Tianshui, but no one answered the phone. An official from the relevant department in Tianshui stated that he was just appointed to serve parents and was not aware of the testing situation in Tianshui.
It is reported that the involved Heishi Peixin Kindergarten is a private kindergarten in Maiji District of Tianshui, Gansu Province, with relatively high fees compared to the local standards, accommodating around 260 children. The founder, Li Huifang, owns a total of four kindergartens under her name.
The cause of the abnormal blood lead levels in children was officially reported to be due to the kindergarten’s unauthorized use of additives, but the details were not elaborated upon. However, during a parent meeting held on the 3rd, one parent mentioned that items like “three-colored sponge cake, cornbread, and the like were found to have excessive lead levels, but the final results are pending.” A parent revealed that the kindergarten’s canteen, run by two chefs and two assistants, procures desserts and date cakes, previously claiming to be homemade.
In response to this, the Market Supervision Administration of Maiji District in Tianshui mentioned that the food samples from the kindergarten have been sealed and taken away by a relevant department, but the specific additives causing the abnormal blood lead levels in children are still unclear.
Public records indicate that lead is a highly harmful heavy metal to the neurodevelopment of children, with potential irreversible damage if ingested during their growth period. Symptoms commonly include diarrhea, hair loss, nosebleeds, darkened teeth, irritability, among others.