Deleterious Legacy of Lead Rages in US Communities
Reuters examined lead testing results across 21 states, representing about 61 percent of the U.S. population. They found 3,000 areas with lead poisoning rates worse than Flint, Michigan. Their analysis at the census tract or zip code level provided local estimates that highlight the acute lead crisis still engulfing the United States. At the height of the crisis in Flint, 5% of children had elevated levels that was double the national average. Communities across the United States have poisoning rates far in excess than Flint. Cash-strapped cities are even struggling to conduct testing. Reuters cites, “In South Bend, Indiana, where health officials face a cash crunch, lead testing is in sharp decline even as existing data points to a serious problem.”
