Kindergarten operator in China sentenced to life for lead poisoning — ABC News Australia

In China, Li Huifan, the operator of the Heshi Peixin kindergarten in the city of Tianshui, Gansu province, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a case involving the lead poisoning of more than 200 children. The court also ordered the confiscation of her personal assets worth about 500,000 yuan.

Sentences for kindergarten staff

As ABC News reports, the Lanzhou Intermediate People's Court found that Li Huifan and the institution's executive director, Zhu Jinglin, instructed four kitchen workers to add toxic and harmful substances to food consumed by the kindergarten's children and staff.

Zhu Jinglin was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 300,000 yuan. The four kitchen workers were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to eight years. According to state broadcaster CCTV, Li Huifan's confiscated assets are estimated at about 500,000 yuan.

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Elevated lead levels

In July 2025, abnormally high blood lead levels were detected in about 247 kindergarten children and more than 20 staff members. Media reported that inedible pigments containing lead were added to dishes to make the food brighter.

High levels of lead exposure can damage a child's brain and nervous system. On the eve of the verdict, the World Health Organization called on countries to strengthen measures to prevent contact with lead, noting that its sources may include paint, cookware, cosmetics, spices and industrial pollution.