After months of outcry, residents of Flint, Michigan have finally received much-deserved attention from the media. The intense scrutiny, the lawsuits, and the resignation of several government officials may make it seem as though lead poisoning is rare, but the unfolding situation in Flint is not an isolated event. Lead poisoning is all too common across the U.S, and public health officials don’t seem all that concerned.
Before the mid-1970s, gasoline was leaded, and lead particles don’t biodegrade. This means that lead particles are still present in the soil, particularly in areas with high vehicle traffic, like big cities. Little research has been done regarding lead levels in major cities, but the few studies that are available suggest lead contamination in soil is far more prevalent than previously thought.
New Orleans, D.C. and New York have all been shown to have dangerous lead soil contamination levels, which have the potential to seriously harm children growing up in these areas. For some reason, officials don’t seem that concerned. D.C’s Department of Energy and Environment officially suggests that parents “cover up” any bare soil that their children might have access to – a relatively pathetic attempt to appear concerned for people’s health.
Even when we do have solid proof of lead contamination, states are often slow to react. Tests conducted in Sebring, Ohio last summer showed detectable amounts of lead in the drinking supply – but residents didn’t find out until December. The lack of swift action on part of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exposed Sebring residents to potentially toxic levels of lead for months, and two Ohio EPA employees have been fired over the incident.
This is a big deal. Not knowing about lead contamination is one thing, but failing to remedy the situation once it’s been brought to light is a total failure on the part of the state. This is even further aggravated by the fact that as our science improves, lead poisoning only shows itself to be more and more dangerous. There is no demonstrated safe concentration of lead in the bloodstream.
Blood levels that were once believed to be safe – like 30 μg/dL in the 70s – are now known to cause lifelong damage, including but not limited to learning disabilities, lower IQ and ADHD. The CDC estimates that nearly 500,000 children in the U.S. between ages 1 and 5 have a blood lead level above the 5 μg/dL standard, even though levels as low as 2 μg/dL have been shown to reduce IQ.
Five months later, and Flint is still far from recovered – let’s not allow any other communities to suffer a similar fate.
