Seventeen people are being investigated in China after nearly 250 children were found to have high levels of lead in their blood, officials have said.
The individuals “under disciplinary investigation” includes the head of a local hospital, while 10 government officials have also been held “accountable”.
It comes after a scandal involving Heshi Peixin kindergarten in Maiji, northwestern China, emerged earlier this month.
Police said staff at the private kindergarten had been adding paint powder to food in an apparent bid to make it look more appealing.
Testing showed 247 out of 251 of the kindergarten’s children and 28 members of staff had “abnormal blood levels”.
A further five children who finished attending the kindergarten in 2024 also recorded abnormal levels of lead in their blood, according to investigators.
A Sky News team in Maiji reported how the local hospital had been accused of returning tests for lead showing much lower levels than at the bigger hospitals.
Investigators have now found the management of the Second People’s Hospital of Tianshui was “chaotic” and its laboratory department had been illegally modifying the results of the blood lead tests.
The head of the hospital is one of the 17 people facing disciplinary investigation.
Sky News was told how one child was found to have lead in her blood at 38 times the normal level.
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Lead poisoning at high levels can cause long term injuries to the brain and the central nervous system.
A mother who lived near the kindergarten said: “Now if people send children to primary school, the first thing they ask is are you safe?
“Can it guarantee the personal safety of our children in the future?”
