Chinese lead poisoning scandal sparks backlash, echoing earlier controversies

A lead poisoning scandal at a kindergarten in northwest China – and the local government’s alleged attempt to cover up wrongdoing – has sparked public backlash, with observers saying the case highlights a pattern often seen in the wake of high-profile safety incidents.

Liu Qifang, the father of a girl who attended the kindergarten at the centre of the scandal, received a phone call from an unknown caller last week, according to South Reviews magazine on Tuesday.

The caller confirmed Liu’s identity, then curtly said “5.416” and hung up.

The number was a reference to his daughter’s results from a blood test in Tianshui in Gansu province, where the kindergarten is located. That test said his daughter’s blood lead level was 5.416 micrograms per litre (mcg/L), much lower than the 100mcg/L level deemed elevated in children by Chinese health authorities.

Liu decided to have his daughter tested in Xian, capital of neighbouring Shaanxi province, as reassurance. That test result came out to 232mcg/L – 40 times the number he was told in Gansu.

Other parents shared similar stories with the media. After the scandal was revealed, they received normal test results over the phone from people they believed to be local government workers.