68% of Chicago Children Under 6 are Exposed to Lead-Contaminated Water

Even though researchers made it clear that exposure to lead poses health risks even at its low levels, many cities still use lead pipes to supply water. Exposure to lead can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, developmental deficits and neurological complications. 

In recent research published in JAMA Pediatrics, it was seen that 68% of children in Chicago under age 6 drink tap water containing lead. The level of lead present in the water was detectable.This was a cross-sectional retrospective study conducted in Chicago to just to understand the extent and impact of childhood exposure using household tests. 

In this study, researchers collected data from almost 38385 households from January 2016 to September 2023. They used machine learning and an artificial intelligence technique to calculate levels of lead in household tap water. 

For this research, the threshold that researchers used was very low detectable level of lead in the water. It was equal to half a teaspoon of water in a swimming pool of the Olympics.The results of this study showed that 69% of the tests were above this threshold level. By using this data, the machine learning model concluded that 75% of residential cities have lead-contaminated water. It affects 68% of Chicago children under the age of 6. 

Lead pipes were banned in the U.S. in 1986, many cities still use lead water pipes installed before their ban. Chicago, a U.S. city still uses 400,000 lead pipes that supply water to nearly 2.7 million people. 

According to the Environment Protection Agency, almost 9.2 million households get water through lead pipes.This exposure to lead can affect children and cause severe health risks such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, developmental deficits and neurological complications. 

The results of this study show that cities that still use lead pipes for water supply are in danger and need action to address this issue. This issue can only be controlled by replacing lead pipes and improving water quality standards. 

Reference Link:  

Benjamin Q. Huynh et al, Estimated Childhood Lead Exposure From Drinking Water in Chicago, JAMA Pediatrics (2024). 

DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.0133. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamap … /fullarticle/2815850