Chicago tap water has lead-contamination levels dangerous for kids, a new study says
CHICAGO — According to a new study, children in Chicago are in significant danger of lead exposure from drinking water.
A study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, estimates about 129,000 Chicago children under age 6 — or about 68% — are exposed to lead-contaminated tap water. The study also concludes that lead exposure is increased among Black and Hispanic populations in the city.
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The study was done using artificial intelligence, starting with a retrospective assessment of lead exposure based on household tests collected from January 2016 to September 2023, according to researchers.
Researchers say those tests were obtained from households in Chicago that registered for a free, self-administered testing service for lead exposure. Researchers then used machine learning and microsimulation to estimate citywide lead exposure among children.
“In this cross-sectional study, an estimated 68% of children younger than 6 years (old) in Chicago are exposed to lead-contaminated drinking water, with 19% of affected children using unfiltered tap water as their primary drinking water source,” the researchers concluded in their findings.
“Predominantly Black and Hispanic blocks were disproportionately less likely to be tested for lead yet disproportionately exposed to contaminated drinking water.”
According to the study, citing the Chicago Tribune, lead pipes were mandated in Chicago until the 1986 federal ban. Chicago is estimated to have nearly 400,000 lead service lines, the most of any city in the U.S., the study says, citing WBEZ Chicago.
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Upon employing its research methods and acquiring the data, researchers wrote the following conclusion at the end of their study:
“Levels of widespread childhood lead exposure, such as those found in this study, are symptomatic of structural marginalization and are likely preventable through large-scale interventions to replace lead service lines and improve access to testing.
“The benefits of harm-reduction strategies, such as lead filtration technology and anti-corrosive agents to prevent lead leaching into water, should also be studied and explored. Machine learning may be useful as a preliminary screening tool, and a holistic approach to supplement data-driven identification with community-based input could help prevent lead exposure.
“Further action should be taken to reduce childhood lead exposure from drinking water.”
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