Flint isn’t the only city with lead poisoning problems
Share Now on:
Flint isn’t the only city with lead poisoning problems
Flint was just the start.
Thousands of neighborhoods across the country have higher lead poising rates than Flint, Mich., according to a Reuters investigation published today.
The Centers for Disease Control defines high lead content as 5 micrograms or more per deciliter, and 2.5 percent of children under six have elevated rates nationwide. Reuters found nearly 3,000 neighborhoods with double the rates of poisoning found in Flint. Roughly 1,000 neighborhoods had rates that were at least four times higher.
Lead poisoning is tough to find, according to the report. Children aren’t tested often and when they are, the results are reported at the state or county levels, while areas with acute lead poisoning are hidden.
Congress gave Flint $170 million in aid this year, Reuters noted, but the CDC’s budget state lead poisoning aid is a fraction of that. Reuters reporters visited several areas afflicted with high lead levels. They’re often poor and midwestern, like Missouri, where the statewide average is five percent and several areas passed 15 percent.
This data covers less than half the states — only 21 were able to get Reuters the specific data it requested.
Identifying the issue is only one part of the problem. When pipes and old buildings are poisoning the population, fixes can be tough. For a case study, revisit our reporting from Flint by clicking the audio player below.
If you’re a member of your local public radio station, we thank you — because your support helps those stations keep programs like Marketplace on the air. But for Marketplace to continue to grow, we need additional investment from those who care most about what we do: superfans like you.
Your donation — as little as $5 — helps us create more content that matters to you and your community, and to reach more people where they are – whether that’s radio, podcasts or online.
When you contribute directly to Marketplace, you become a partner in that mission: someone who understands that when we all get smarter, everybody wins.
