State health officials are warning workers at the Federal Ammunition plant in Anoka County to get their kids tested for lead exposure. 

Four children from separate households, whose parents work at the plant, were identified with elevated levels of lead, the Minnesota Health Department said Friday.

Lead exposure is particularly dangerous for young children. Elevated levels can cause adverse health effects, including learning and behavioral problems and even death when there are very high exposures.  

The levels in these cases were above 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood, requiring an assessment of the child’s possible exposures, the agency said in its statement. Health officials say they’re concerned other children of plant employees may have been unknowingly exposed. 

“Even at this blood lead level … they can develop developmental delays, behavioral challenges, loss of IQ points. And then we can see some other chronic health problems,” said Dr. Stephanie Yendell, supervisor of the lead poisoning prevention program at MDH.

“And lead can cause a lot of nonspecific signs, like headaches and muscle aches and fatigue, that are very difficult to attribute to lead. So it’s important to remember that at this level, we’re often not seeing overt signs in the children. And so it’s absolutely imperative that kids be tested for lead to identify whether they do have exposure to lead.”

The first case was identified in 2021, officials said. The others were identified in late 2022 and early 2023. State health officials said the exposures occurred due to what’s called “take-home lead,” where the dust accumulates on a worker’s clothing, shoes or belongings.

That dust is heavy and once in the home or car can be difficult to remove, officials said. People living with the worker can then ingest the dust “which can accumulate in their bodies.”

Health investigators did not find lead paint or other usual sources of lead in each of the children’s homes, the Health Department said. Instead, dust wipe samples found lead in areas like car floors, on the bottoms of the shoes that parents wear to work, and on the floor where those work shoes were left.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry issued citations to the plant in late 2021 for violations of OSHA lead standards not directly related to the first identified case, officials said. Those citations required plant managers to resolve the issue by implementing measures to improve changing rooms. 

“MDH has communicated with plant managers about the take-home lead exposure cases,” the release said. “However, these recent cases are evidence of lead dust continuing to leave the facility and prompted MDH to make this notification.”

Officials also said “the company has yet to demonstrate that it has made sufficient changes in the operations at the plant to sufficiently reduce the risk of take-home lead dust.” 

State health officials say they have an open investigation into the issue.

In a statement, Federal Ammunition officials called the safety of workers and their families “Value #1 at our company” and noted they are “actively reviewing the concerns raised and are cooperating fully with the Minnesota Department of Health.”

The sporting ammunition maker said it regularly tests and monitors for lead exposure, and complies with applicable regulations. In addition, it employs thorough facility cleaning and hygiene protocols.

Health officials said parents can get their kids tested for lead exposure at their health care provider, or through free blood testing at these Twin Cities locations: 

• Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, 11a.m. to 4 p.m., Latinx Americans in STEM Day at the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul

• Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Andover Community Center, Door 1 (West Side), Community Room A, 15200 Hanson Blvd NW, Andover,

• Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Asian Americans in STEM Day at the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul