MDH: Elevated lead levels found in four children of Anoka ammunition plant workers
ANOKA, Minn. -- The Minnesota Department of Health is urging employees of an Anoka ammunition manufacturing plant to have their children tested for lead after four were found to have elevated levels in their blood.
State officials issued an alert on Friday to employees of Federal Ammunition, concerned that children have been exposed to "take-home lead dust" brought home accidentally on clothing or personal items of family members who work there.
"We want to make sure that all children are protected and that we don't have other children out there whose family members don't know that they've been impacted," said Dan Huff, assistant commissioner for the Health Protection Bureau at MDH.
Workers are encouraged to connect with their primary health care provider to ensure that all children up to age 17 and pregnant household members receive a blood lead test.
The Federal Ammunition plant in Anoka uses lead to produce ammunition for a variety of firearms and has previously been cited for violating OSHA lead standards, according to documents reviewed by WCCO. The health department claims the company has yet to demonstrate changes in its operations to reduce the health risk of take-home lead dust.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Federal Ammunition said it prioritizes the safety of employees and their families, and regularly tests for lead exposure.
"In addition, we employ thorough facility cleaning and hygiene protocols. We are actively reviewing the concerns raised and are cooperating fully with the Minnesota Department of Health," the statement said.
The health department discovered the first child with elevated blood lead levels in late 2021, and three more cases were detected in late 2022 and early this year. Before linking the source of contamination to the plant, health officials completed an investigation, testing samples of paint, water, soil, and dust in the children's homes.
"Because we have seen an ongoing pattern of exposure and it has been with multiple children, that is why we're asking parents to get their children tested today," Huff said.
He explained that officials found lead in areas such as car floors, the bottoms of the shoes the parents wear to work and floors where parents leave their work shoes.
There is no such thing as a safe amount of lead in the blood, but experts use 5mcg/dcL as the benchmark for when kids need to be tested periodically.
A key step is removing the source of contamination and getting tested. Symptoms can be very subtle or unnoticeable until when the child gets older, said Dr. Stephanie Yendell, the supervisor of the Lead Surveillance Program at MDH.
"At the levels that we're talking about at the time of diagnosis, a lot of kids are not showing any signs or symptoms of lead poisoning. So they look really healthy, which is why it's so important to get that screening test done," she said. "Unfortunately lead can cause problems that show up later on, such as decreases in IQ and difficulty when those kids go to school and have difficulty with learning new things and trying to apply new concepts. They may develop behavioral issues."
Children are more sensitive than adults to the toxicity from lead, Huff added.
Free blood tests will be available in the coming days at these sites:
- Feb. 11: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Latinx Americans in STEM Day at the Science Museum of Minnesota (no admission fee required, and parking will be validated)
- Feb. 18: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Andover Community Center, Door 1, Community Room A at 15200 Hanson Boulevard Northwest
- Feb. 25: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Asian Americans in STEM Day at the Science Museum of Minnesota (no admission fee required, and parking will be validated)
For information on lead from MDH, click here.