Lead+found+in+hundreds+of+Chicago+homes'+tap+water,+report+says

Source: CNN Author: Jacqueline Howard Published: 4/12/18 Accessed: 4/16/18 Link: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/12/health/chicago-water-lead-report-bn/index.html

=Summary= Lead is a naturally occurring metal found underground and has historically been used in several products, including paint, pipes, gasoline, batteries, and cosmetic items. Lead exposure is severely dangerous for humans- especially pregnant women and developing children- and can lead to children suffering from brain injury and a loss of IQ. The CDC has identified no safe blood level of lead for children.

In 2016, the Chicago Department of Water Management expanded a free program in which residents could have their water tested for lead. A recent report of the results looked into the tap water of 2,797 homes in Chicago and found that 70% of the homes contained lead. The EPA had set a limit for the amount of lead in tap water at 15 parts per billion and the FDA set a limit for lead in bottled water at 5 parts per billion. Unfortunately, 9% of the homes tested had levels of lead exceeding the FDA's bottle water standard and there were over 100 homes in which lead levels ranged from 15-270 parts per billion.

Some officials urge residents not to be concerned about lead in their water supplies. Other officials are not surprised, and reveal that these kind of results are typical for metropolitan cities with modern corrosion control and lead service lines. Chicago residents are not alone, as at least 4 million households in the US contain children being exposed to lead. As officials look forward for solutions, they demand that municipalities identify the sources of lead and test children's blood for lead concentration.

=Relation to Course= This relates to Chapter 22 (Solid and Hazardous Wastes) of our course. The chapter explains how lead poisoning can cause adverse effects in children- including a lowered IQ, shortened attention span, hyperactivity, hearing damage, and a multitude of behavioral disorders (Miller 600). The textbook also recommends solutions for lead exposure, including testing all children by age 1, phasing out leaded gasoline, banning all lead solder in plumbing pipes, fixtures, food cans, and testing ceramic ware used to serve food for lead glazing (Miller 601). This article also relates to Chapter 20 (Water Pollution) as lead is a water-soluble inorganic chemical, which can make water unfit to drink.

=Opinion= Lead poisoning is dangerous and has adverse effects for people- especially children still in developing stages. The fact that 70% of tested homes contained levels of lead is very concerning, especially upon examining some of the high concentrations of lead in some households. Although only a few households of the many tested contained extremely high levels of lead, there is no safe blood concentration of lead for children- so just the presence of lead in water sources is hazardous. In my opinion, municipalities need to take action to prevent lead poisoning. This could start with just simple testing of lead in children and identifying household sources of lead and eventually progress to banning products that contain unsafe amounts of lead.

=Environmental Law= One environmental law that relates to this article is the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, which requires the EPA to establish national drinking water standards for any pollutants that may have adverse effects on human health. This law could be used to apply standards of lead in drinking water to the households that contain lead in water.

 Link for picture: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water (Picture is infographic on right side of website)