The Guardian: Revealed: the ‘shocking’ levels of toxic lead in Chicago tap water

[mastermind]

What in the world

Revealed: the ‘shocking’ levels of toxic lead in Chicago tap water

Tests performed for thousands of Chicago residents found lead, a neurotoxin, in amounts far exceeding the federal standards

www.theguardian.com

The Guardian worked with water engineer Elin Betanzo – who helped uncover the Flint water crisis that resulted in many, mostly Black residents being poisoned by lead in the Michigan city – to review the results of water tests conducted for Chicago residents between 2016 and 2021. Chicago itself has never released an analysis of the results.

The analysis found that nine of the top 10 zip codes with the largest percentages of high test results were neighborhoods with majorities of Black and Hispanic residents, and there were dozens of homes with shockingly high lead levels. One home, in the majority-Black neighborhood of South Chicago, had lead levels of 1,100 parts per billion (ppb) – 73 times the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit of 15ppb.

“There’s a very clear data set here showing very concerning lead levels in Chicago – and the residents need to have this information,” said Betanzo, the founder of a water engineering firm. “Lead is a potent, irreversible neurotoxin with no safe level of exposure and multigenerational impacts. The time to cut it off is as soon as possible. Foot dragging is helping nobody.”

“This data shows lead well above the action level consistently, at addresses across the city again and again and again, and it’s been sitting here publicly available for years,” said Betanzo. “It’s amazing. It’s shocking,” she added.

 

[silk scarfs]

somebody link the study that lead exposure makes people more violent

 

[Pressure]

Low federal standards allow them to turn a blind eye.

There are different standards and opinions about how much lead is tolerable in water, and therefore how provocative these Chicago findings are. Health agencies say no amount of lead is safe, and that even low amounts can cause problems.

But the EPA has an “action level” of 15ppb – meaning that cities are only required to notify the public when at least 10% of a small sample of homes tested are above that amount.

By this measure, Chicago is in compliance.

But it likely comes down to cost (400k lines at up to 30k a Pipe), tough guidelines that make the money grab tougher for businesses that would love the money, and a lack of awareness.

Also, at the guidance that folks should run their tap water 5 minutes to avoid issues.

 

[DEAD7]

Gov gon Gov

 

[EndDomination]

no surprise here.

while Pritzker is by far one of the best governors in the u.s. it's hard to combat decades of infrastructure neglect and it's always going to fall on the poorest of the Black working-class.

this is a national crisis and should be dealt with as such - with long-term care for those affected paid for straight from the pockets of the wealthiest

 

[Geek Nasty]

this really explains everything, stories like this make me want to go on a spree

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

Lead in the water and brain fog has many americans woefully damaged

 

[GnauzBookOfRhymes]

Chicago is Flint times x 100. Just not discussed as much because Chicago always has a dem mayor. For years the city would claim to have a random residential testing program, the figures for which were sent to the federal government. Turns out the water departments definition of "random" ended up almost always testing the homes of water department employees whose water always tested below federal guidelines

 

[mastermind]

somebody link the study that lead exposure makes people more violent

There are a few, but Brookings had a summation of them:

New evidence that lead exposure increases crime | Brookings

Jennifer Doleac reviews recent research that found exposure to lead poisoning led to higher crime rates.

www.brookings.edu

 

[DEAD7]

Chicago is Flint times x 100. Just not discussed as much because Chicago always has a dem mayor. For years the city would claim to have a random residential testing program, the figures for which were sent to the federal government. Turns out the water departments definition of "random" ended up almost always testing the homes of water department employees whose water always tested below federal guidelines

 

[Bboystyle]

No one should be drinking tap water to begin with.

 

[88m3]

drinking tap water rn

 

[Ahadi]

There are a few, but Brookings had a summation of them:

New evidence that lead exposure increases crime | Brookings

Jennifer Doleac reviews recent research that found exposure to lead poisoning led to higher crime rates.

www.brookings.edu

 

[Pressure]

No one should be drinking tap water to begin with.

Do water fountains at the gym count?

 

[ORDER_66]

All of america's pipes gotta be changed.... Led everywhere