Minnesota officials urge munitions factory workers to test children for lead exposure

Minnesota health officials have urged workers at the Federal Ammunition Company’s Anoka plant to test their children for lead exposure after four children with family members who work there were found to have elevated blood lead levels.

MINNESOTA BOAT FACTORY WORKERS TURN ACTIVE SHOOTER

The Minnesota Department of Health said children from four separate households were exposed to lead dust that was accidentally brought into the home on their family members’ clothing and personal belongings. And they are concerned that other children of the plant workers may have been exposed to “take-home lead dust” but have not been tested.

Minnesota health officials have recommended lead exposure testing for children of workers at an Anoka munitions plant. (Fox News)

“The series of cases indicates an ongoing infection problem requiring additional preventive measures,” the department said in a press release on Friday.

CHILDHOOD LEAD EXPOSURE ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER ADULTS IQ

Lead dust can accumulate on workers’ bodies, clothing, footwear and personal items. The first child was identified in November 2021, with more cases identified in late 2022 and early this year.

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Federal manufactures ammunition primarily for sporting firearms. State regulators accused the company of violating workplace standards at the end of 2021 on matters not directly related to the first child. They ordered managers to improve the locker rooms to reduce the amount of dust brought home. But the department said the company has yet to demonstrate that it has made sufficient changes to mitigate the risk.