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posted by Fnord666 on Thursday March 23 2017, @09:52PM   Printer-friendly
from the there-are-acceptable-levels-of-lead-poisoning? dept.

Some neighborhoods in California are experiencing levels of lead that exceed those measured in Flint, Michigan:

Dozens of California communities have experienced recent rates of childhood lead poisoning that surpass those of Flint, Michigan, with one Fresno locale showing rates nearly three times higher, blood testing data obtained by Reuters shows.

The data shows how lead poisoning affects even a state known for its environmental advocacy, with high rates of childhood exposure found in a swath of the Bay Area and downtown Los Angeles. And the figures show that, despite national strides in eliminating lead-based products, hazards remain in areas far from the Rust Belt or East Coast regions filled with old housing and legacy industry.

In one central Fresno zip code, 13.6 percent of blood tests on children under six years old came back high for lead. That compares to 5 percent across the city of Flint during its recent water contamination crisis. In all, Reuters found at least 29 Golden State neighborhoods where children had elevated lead tests at rates at least as high as in Flint.

Interactive map of U.S. lead hotspots.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by takyon on Thursday March 23 2017, @10:55PM (4 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday March 23 2017, @10:55PM (#483426) Journal

    Is there anywhere outside of a laboratory that does not have a few molecules of lead around? Lead is in dirt all over the goddamn place. So unless you want to spend $100 trillion to collect all the molecules, there has to be an acceptable level of lead, because you are consuming it and breathing it in every day.

    "No level of lead exposure is safe" does not conflict with an acceptable level of lead, because it is impossible to reduce all environmental risks to zero. Did you breathe in a tiny amount of auto fumes today? Did it feel acceptable to you, or did you just accept it? Did you even notice it?

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:13PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:13PM (#483428)

    I used to chew Xmas tree tinsel back in the 60s that was made from lead at that time. I didn't suffer from any consequences.

    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:48PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:48PM (#483437)

      Scott Pruitt, is that you?

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Bogsnoticus on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:56PM

      by Bogsnoticus (3982) on Thursday March 23 2017, @11:56PM (#483440)

      This has been a community announcement from Darth Cheeto.

      --
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    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @12:04AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @12:04AM (#483442)

      Shut up Ethanol.