Lead contamination continues to be a growing crisis throughout the United States. The usage of lead in nearly all construction materials before the 1980s has contributed to the difficulty abating this issue. Replacing pipes, paint, and other materials is expensive and time-consuming. Though after the Flint crisis made headlines, many states began to replace their crumbling infrastructure, residents in various states have reported crisis levels of lead in their homes, along with multiple health issues.
While lead has been an issue for environmental groups, attentive landlords, and property managers for a while, many individuals did not quite understand the detriments until Flint, Michigan made headlines in 2014. Nearly a decade later, other towns and individuals have suffered from lead contamination. These are the biggest, most recent lead contamination scandals in the US.
Pittsburgh Water Crisis
Pennsylvania’s lead problem came to light in 2016 when Pittsburgh experienced extremely high levels of lead in the water. In 2021, tests found that lead was found in 80% of Allegheny county’s water, the area that encompasses Pittsburgh, and plenty of other residential neighborhoods.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Lead Paint Leads to Developmental Disorders
In 2016-2017, residents in lower-income areas throughout Philadelphia began to notice that children living in these homes had increased rates of autism, learning disabilities, and other congenital problems. After a decade of trying to raise the alarm, the state finally started to test children for lead. Testing has been slow, but the 2020 results show that 20% of children under 6 and 32-33% of children under two came up positive for high lead levels. Lead paint used in low-income housing was the main culprit behind many of these cases.
Detroit Public School System Shuts off Water
In 2018, the Detroit public school system began systematically shutting off water to their public schools after tests found elevated levels of lead, copper, and other metals. From 2018 to 2019, over 102 schools were affected. Currently, the superintendent plans to install water filters and proper drinking stations, which costs over $2 million but doesn’t fix the problem in the pipes or reservoirs.
New York Housing Authority Hid Lead Paint Complaints
In 2020, NYCHA, the housing authority in New York responsible for providing and maintaining low-income housing, came under fire after investigations showed that the number of lead poisoning complaints was actually triple what the agency initially reported. Currently, they claim 9,000 apartments with children were affected, but further testing is likely to uncover a much higher number. Almost all NYCHA’s buildings were built before the 70s and contain lead paint. Though there is no safe amount of lead, NYCHA only considers it a problem if children live in these apartments and are currently taking steps to remediate the issue for families with young kids.
It’s vital to test your air and water. Exposure to airborne toxins like lead, asbestos, and mold can cause health issues on a large scale. Most cities and states are now enacting protocols that require annual testing for homes, construction zones, public spaces, and commercial properties to ensure the health and safety of the public. For trusted and accurate testing, call SanAir Technologies Laboratory at 1-888-895-1177.
