Previously, parents went to the hospital when their children showed various abnormal symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, hair loss, hypersensitivity, gray hair, and tooth discoloration.
Of the 74 people tested, 70 were found to have lead poisoning. The number of affected children, initially estimated at around 20, increased significantly due to additional testing.
One parent said in an interview, "My 6-year-old daughter, who attends this kindergarten, went to the hospital because she had white hair and black spots on her teeth," and "the test results showed that her blood lead level was 284.9㎍/ℓ, indicating lead poisoning."
Many of the children who were tested at Xi'an City Central Hospital, a general hospital about a four-hour drive from the kindergarten, had blood lead levels of 200-500㎍/ℓ.
According to Chinese authorities, the normal blood lead level for children is 100㎍/ℓ or less. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, levels exceeding 50㎍/ℓ are considered lead poisoning.
Some parents questioned the reliability of the tests, saying they were told that blood lead levels were normal at a general hospital in Tianshui City, where the kindergarten is located.
It is reported that at least several dozen children have been hospitalized and are currently receiving detoxification treatment.
Due to a shortage of pediatric beds, patients were admitted to different wards, including the endocrinology, infectious disease, and gastroenterology departments.
Some parents claimed that their children had previously experienced symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain after eating school lunches.
Also, when the test results were announced at the hospital, some parents burst into tears, while others lost energy due to shock and were carried out on stretchers.
Ah.. problems keep popping up in the food sector in China too.
This kind of thing keeps happening with the food that children eat.
We really need to be careful about what happens to the food ingredients exported to our country.
