Homes are full of toxic lead making children ill, according to research released on Monday, March 18, 2024. Chicago children were exposed to drinking water polluted with lead, the study found.
Researchers also analyzed Illinois’ state blood samples, neighborhood demographics, and a host of other variables. What they found is shocking. Lead pipes have poisoned the drinking water in predominantly Black and Latino homes.
Additionally, it was foretold that the blood lead levels of the 19% of Chicago children who drink unfiltered tap water were of concern. As their main source of drinking water is around twice as high as they would be otherwise.
Drinking Water
This study found that “childhood lead exposure is widespread in Chicago. So therefore Chicago kids are exposed to lead-polluted drinking water. Also racial inequities are present in both testing rates and exposure levels.”
According to the federal government, drinking water cannot include lead at any safe level. Research has demonstrated that even minute concentrations of the extremely toxic metal can impact a child’s brain development. It can also increase the risk of preterm births, heart issues, and kidney disorders.
Chicago still has more lead service lines serving 400,000 households than any other US city, which might contaminate water. Professor of Public Health Benjamin Huynh, who wrote the paper with Elizabeth Chin and Mathew Kiang said, “I think residents have reason to be concerned. I believe that you should test your water for lead, find out the results, and then adjust your decisions accordingly.”
Water Crisis
“These results are alarming, but not nearly as bad as the situation in Flint was—organizations in the city should assist citizens in having better access to testing and filtration,” Benjamin Q. Huynh, the corresponding author from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, told Newsweek.
In that interview, Huynh is referring to the Flint, Michigan water crisis, which started on April 25, 2014. That is when Michigan switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River for its municipal water sources. Because of the corrosion brought on by the alteration, lead and other chemicals seep into the drinking water.
Disease Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that at that time, one or more adults with atypical health concerns were reported by 66% of all families. “There is no safe level of lead exposure, especially for young children and expectant mothers. Huynh also stated that ” Lead is a neurotoxin. ” According to Huynh, it can result in preterm births, affect learning and growth, and create developmental abnormalities.
Figure Out A Way
The next step is to determine the most effective means of minimizing lead exposure. A federal plan is to eliminate all lead service lines, but Chicago has set a 40-year timeframe for doing so. How can we improve outreach in the meantime to assist locals in testing their water for lead and lowering exposure through filtration?” “The health and safety of Chicagoans, especially our children, is the most crucial thing? In reaction to the results, a Chicago Water Management representative told Newsweek, “The Department of Public Health and Department of Water Management will continue working together to identify and remediate all sources of lead from Chicago homes.”
For this reason, CDPH has made significant investments in thorough paint with lead and dust inspection and mitigation, particularly in the most vulnerable areas.
Things Decreased
Through the implementation of regular childhood lead testing, nurse follow-up care, home inspections, and lead paint remediation, CDPH has achieved significant strides in lowering elevated blood lead levels in children. The proportion of children with blood lead levels greater than 5 ug/dL has dramatically decreased, from 70% in 1996 to 1.6% in 2023. To completely eradicate these lead concerns, more effort needs to be made, especially in Black and Brown neighborhoods where the housing stock is older.
Time and time again the negative and even deadly effects of contaminated water have reared their ugly face in not just the US, but the whole world.
Written By Chiquita Street
Sources :
The Guardian – Nearly 130,000 children exposed to lead-tainted drinking water in Chicago
Newsweek – ‘Widespread’ Lead Exposure in Chicago, 68% of Young Children Affected
Michigan Public – New study estimates two-thirds of young children in Chicago have detectable levels of lead in their blood
Mirage News – Chicago Kids at Risk from Lead-Tainted Drinking Water
Top & Featured Image Courtesy Of Laurie’s Flickr Page – Creative Common License
Inset Image Courtesy Of Photos By Clark’s Flickr Page – Creative Common License
