After the incident of blood lead levels exceeding standard at the Tian Shui Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui, Gansu, several teachers from the kindergarten were also found to have significantly elevated blood lead levels. Recently, some parents have reported that the government is offering each child 7,000 yuan as compensation in an attempt to settle the matter.
According to reports from mainland official media, teachers and children at the kindergarten usually live and eat together. Several kindergarten teachers have undergone blood lead testing at hospitals, with two teachers found to have results exceeding the standard levels significantly – one at 395 μg/L and the other at 500 μg/L. The normal reference value for adults’ blood lead levels should be 200 μg/L.
Reports said that Wang Li, a teacher at the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten, received her blood lead test results from the Xi’an Central Hospital on the 7th, showing a value of 395 μg/L. She mentioned experiencing symptoms like dizziness and nausea about half a month ago, with similar reactions observed by colleagues. They initially attributed it to menstrual cycle reactions and did not pay too much attention, but the nausea symptoms persist.
On the afternoon of the 7th, a parent taking their child to the Xi’an Central Hospital for a check-up confirmed the news, stating that several teachers received their blood lead test results in the afternoon, all showing significant elevations. Officials from relevant departments in Tianshui were mobilized at the hospital, urging the teachers to return to Tianshui for treatment.
On July 8, the Chinese Communist Party officially announced the investigation results, indicating that the kindergarten cafeteria violated regulations by using additives, leading to multiple children having significantly elevated blood lead levels. However, many parents do not accept the official explanation, and concerns about the “lead poisoning” case persist.
According to reports from the CCP official media, on the morning of the 8th, the Tian Shui City Joint Investigation Team in Gansu Province announced the investigation results of the children’s blood lead incident, detailing how the kindergarten’s head, Zhu Moulin, and investor Li Moufang, agreed for the kitchen staff to purchase colored paint through the internet, dilute it, and use it in the production of certain foods.
The investigation revealed that on the early morning of the 3rd, the Joint Investigation Team found that two food samples from the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten, “Three-color Red Dates Steamed Cake” and “Corn Sausage Roll,” had lead contents of 1,052 mg/kg and 1,340 mg/kg, exceeding the national food safety standard limit of 0.5 mg/kg for food contaminants.
A parent at the kindergarten, Zhao Qiang (alias), disclosed in an interview with Da Ji Yuan that their child’s blood lead test results showed 140 μg/L at the Tianshui Hospital and 300 μg/L at the Xi’an Central Hospital. Another child had levels below 20 μg/L at Tianshui Hospital but 352 μg/L at the Xi’an Central Hospital, both of whom are currently hospitalized.
Zhao Qiang mentioned that on July 2, some children were asked to undergo physical check-ups by the kindergarten, revealing suspicions of lead poisoning. She believes their children were among the earliest victims. On the morning of the 3rd, parents were summoned to the kindergarten for a meeting, informing them that their children’s blood samples were sent to the provincial CDC for testing.
In the afternoon of the 3rd, Zhao Qiang discovered from other parents that the children’s test reports from the provincial CDC had come out. However, when parents requested to receive copies of the test reports, their requests were denied, leading to many parents doubting the authenticity of the data.
“Some parents specifically went to find officials from Tianshui who were in Xi’an, conveying their demands, including compensation, medical expenses, case progress, etc., and the parents have also joined forces,” Zhao Qiang explained. “The Tianshui Health Commission called the parents of the children, instructing them to bring the children to the Tianshui Second Hospital for treatment. However, many parents no longer believe their words; some mothers, out of anger and anxiety, fainted on the spot at the hospital and were rushed for emergency treatment.”
It is understood that a large number of parents are currently silenced. Videos have mostly been blocked, restricted, or taken down.
This incident bears a striking resemblance to the 2006 incident, as Li Yan, a resident of Xi’an, recalled. In 2006, there was a poisoning incident involving 211 individuals in Tianshui, all happening at the same location back then. Li Yan speculated that there might be other problems in the local area. “Who could manipulate hospital results? Could chefs test for lead poisoning themselves?” Li Yan questioned. “There should be inspections of local groundwater, tap water, tests on surrounding residents and businesses.”
Liu Bo, another Xi’an resident, expressed disbelief in the colored paint theory. “If Tianshui releases the names of the paint, purchasing units, and receipts, I might buy them myself and conduct personal tests to verify,” Liu Bo mentioned.
Wang Jun, a Xi’an resident, commented, “Why would the local test results be normal while those from elsewhere abnormal? What is the purpose of this action? This matter should be made public; can they really suppress it with so many people involved?”
Online users discovered that about two kilometers west of the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten, there’s the Baling Nonferrous Metals Group Co., Ltd. Tianshui Transfer Station. And nearly three kilometers east of the kindergarten, there’s the Tianshui Dongxing Mining Company freight station, which deals with the transfer of heavy metals.
Thus, there are suspicions that adding colored pigments to food may not necessarily be the root cause of the children’s lead poisoning this time and could be related to corporate pollution.
Just as the focus was on the color pigment issue, a netizen shared a chat record revealing that children with mild poisoning (200-249 μg/L) receive 1,000 yuan for a one-time three-month nutritional intervention upon returning home, while those with moderate to severe poisoning (250 μg/L and above) get free testing without hassle upon returning home and receive 6,000 yuan for family members as compensation for lost work, and can choose any school within the district when they later go to elementary school.
Some netizens indicated that local government officials have negotiated with some parents, agreeing to provide 7,000 yuan in compensation to each household.
A parent on Douyin lamented that the lead-poisoned children will be discharged the next day, with the ultimate solution being medical expenses reimbursed upfront, followed by government support for subsequent bills, and an additional 7,000 yuan compensation for each child. They expressed that without public attention, the costs would have burdened the parents. The resolution of this incident will conclude, and online discussions will fade, but the harm caused to the children will last a lifetime.
The parent mentioned that up to now, the true cause of the incident has not been clarified, and there are many doubts remaining. Questions linger about who orchestrated the falsification of data at the Tianshui Hospital and the CDC. The kindergarten principal seems to possess extraordinary means to manipulate the situation, indicating the case is not as straightforward as it appears. Why did the food and drug administration not detect any issues earlier, and why have none of the public officials been investigated yet? Who will resolve the subsequent compensations? Without the Xi’an Central Hospital, the true blood lead data may have never been revealed.
The Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji District, Tianshui City, is a privately operated kindergarten established on September 6, 2022. Its legal representative is Zhu Jinglin, with Li Huifang being the actual controller. Their operational scope includes providing pre-school education. The annual tuition fee is over 10,000 yuan, with a care fee of 3,500 yuan, and a monthly food expense of 360 yuan.
As of July 2025, there were 251 children enrolled in the kindergarten. Due to the food safety incident, 233 children had abnormal blood lead levels, and eight individuals involved are currently under criminal detention.