Reports have emerged that local authorities are attempting to downplay and cover up a mass lead poisoning incident at a kindergarten in Gansu Province in northwestern China.
According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) and Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) on the 14th, the municipal authorities have arrested eight officials, including the director of the kindergarten, in connection with the recent diagnosis of lead poisoning in over 200 children at the He Shpei Xin Kindergarten in Tian Shui City, stating that it occurred due to the use of non-edible art supplies during meal preparation.
However, the parents of the affected children and citizens are rebelling, claiming that the city is trying to downplay and cover up the incident, and they do not trust the announced investigation results.
Parents of the affected children reported that while tests at a hospital in Tian Shui showed blood lead levels well below the standard, tests conducted in Xi'an, the capital of neighboring Shanxi Province, revealed abnormally high levels.
Liu Chipang, who sent her daughter to this kindergarten, stated in an interview with the southern Guangdong media 'Nan Fang Chuang' that the test results in Tian Shui showed a blood lead level of 5.416 micrograms (㎍) per liter, which was much lower than the standard, whereas the test conducted in Xi'an showed a level of 232 ㎍/ℓ, which is 40 times higher.
The blood lead levels of many kindergarteners tested at Xi'an Central Hospital reached between 200 and 500 ㎍/ℓ.
Chinese authorities have stated that the normal blood lead level for children is below 100 ㎍/ℓ. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, levels exceeding 50 ㎍/ℓ are considered lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can cause irreversible damage to the brain and central nervous system, and in children, it can lead to decreased cognitive abilities and attention span, as well as growth delays.
Currently, most affected children are being treated in Xi'an, with some parents transferring their children to hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai for more accurate diagnosis and treatment, SCMP reported.
Claims have also emerged that Tian Shui authorities attempted to 'silence' the families of the affected children.
One parent stated that on the 9th, via the social media account 'Mr. Lee is not your teacher,' which exposes social issues in China, officials sent several representatives to Xi'an to threaten the families of affected children to remain silent, and informed them that they would need to return to Tian Shui for treatment to receive full reimbursement of medical expenses.
Meanwhile, some internet users have raised questions about why the kindergarten used more expensive and pungent art supplies instead of cheaper food coloring.
As the controversy grew, Gansu authorities announced on the 12th that they would upgrade the incident to a provincial level and assemble a team to investigate, according to reports from Xinhua News Agency and others.
Chinese media, including Zhejiang Online, reported that in 2006, over 200 residents in Wu Zha He Village in Tian Shui were poisoned by lead. At the time, two local chemical factories were recognized as sources of contamination, and it is believed that medical tests conducted by designated medical institutions showed normal levels.
As the controversy escalated, Gansu authorities stated on the 12th that they would upgrade the investigation to a provincial level and assemble a team to probe the incident, Xinhua News Agency and others reported.
The investigation team will include relevant departments within the provincial government, such as the Discipline Inspection Commission, the Department of Education, the Public Security Bureau, the Department of Ecology and Environment, and the Health and Wellness Commission. Experts from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Health Commission will also be dispatched from the central government. Additionally, the General Office of the State Council's Food Safety Committee will send a task force (TF) to guide and supervise the investigation.