About 20 students at a kindergarten in Gansu province, northwestern China, are facing health issues such as hair loss and darkened tooth roots, leading to a mass diagnosis of lead poisoning.
According to local media outlets in China, including Hongseong News and Jimu News, students at a kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu province, recently tested significantly above normal levels for lead in their blood.
Earlier, parents took their children to the hospital after they exhibited various abnormal symptoms, including vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, hair loss, hypersensitivity, whitening of hair, and tooth discoloration. Approximately 20 individuals were identified as having undergone testing.
A parent noted in an interview, "My 6-year-old daughter attending this kindergarten has developed white hair and black spots on her teeth, which led us to go to the hospital," adding, "The test results indicated a lead poisoning condition with a blood lead level of 284.9 µg/L."
Multiple students tested at Xi'an Central Hospital, which is about a 4-hour drive from the kindergarten, had blood lead levels reaching between 200 and 500 µg/L.
Chinese authorities stated that the normal blood lead level for children is less than 100 µg/L. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a level exceeding 50 µg/L is considered lead poisoning.
Some parents raised questions about the reliability of the tests, stating that they were informed that their blood lead levels were normal by a local hospital in the city of Tianshui.
At least 19 children have been hospitalized and are currently reported to be receiving detoxification treatment.
Some parents claimed that their children had previously experienced symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain after eating school meals.
Teachers claimed to protesting parents that they were also victims, reporting headaches and nausea but asserting that their conditions were not serious.
Local authorities announced on the 3rd that their investigation found a strong possibility that excessive additives had been used in certain foods served, including three-color rice cakes and corn sausage rolls.
However, it has not yet been confirmed which specific additives and in what amounts were present.
Previously, authorities conducted tests on food and tap water, and currently, over 200 samples have been sent to Gansu provincial disease authorities for further testing.