A photo provided by parents shows dark spots on a child's gums.
Authorities in Tianshui city of Gansu Province have launched a criminal investigation after multiple children at a local kindergarten were diagnosed with abnormally high blood lead levels.
This was allegedly due to illegal food additives, according to an announcement issued by the local health bureau on July 3.
The incident occurred at a private kindergarten, identified as the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji District, Tianshui. The kindergarten opened in 2022 with 500,000 yuan (US$69,781) in registered capital and it charges 6,000 yuan monthly for tuition.
The kindergarten's principal has been placed under criminal investigation.
A medical report from Xi'an Central Hospital reveals a blood lead level of nearly 400 μg/L in an affected child.
Parents told Chongqing-based outlet Shangyou News that their children had symptoms, including nausea, diarrhea, leg pain and abdominal cramps, for months before the scandal broke. Many initially dismissed the signs as minor illnesses until blood tests revealed alarming lead poisoning cases.
A total of 19 affected children were admitted to Xi'an Central Hospital in neighboring Shaanxi Province on July 3, according to the hospital's doctors. Medical reports showed some children with blood lead levels as high as 400 μg/L–12 times higher than their parents' readings and far exceeding the 250 μg/L threshold requiring hospitalization.
The local government has formed a task force to trace the contamination source. More than 200 samples were sent to provincial labs for analysis. Officials have not disclosed the specific additive involved.