Image by Getty/Futurism Studies
Alarming new research has shown that half of American children have toxic levels of lead in their blood.
Scientists found that toxic metal levels were only half of what was observed in blood samples taken from 1.14 million children under six years old, according to a huge study published in JAMA Pediatrics. This is a significant increase in comparison to previous generations.
Scientists found that the majority of affected children who had had blood tests between 2018 and 2020 for one reason or other didn't have high levels of lead in their bloodstreams. Only two percent of them had a high level. The researchers point out that there is no safe level of lead in the body.
The general picture is that children have lead in the U.S. Childrens Hospital at Montefiore's lead poisoning prevention program director Morri Marcowitz said to Bloomberg. There is no limit to lead. We want zero.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Children can sustain permanent nerve damage from lead, which can lead to learning disabilities and speech and hearing difficulties for the rest of their lives.
Although they expected that their research would reveal more children with lead exposure than other studies, the researchers told Bloomberg they were shocked at how serious it was. They also discovered that many of these cases were related to poverty, especially in older housing communities.
These findings, which were published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics by two Harvard researchers, a neurologist and an environmental health specialist, confirm that there is still much to be done to eradicate childhood lead poisoning.
Futurism Readers: Learn how much you can save by switching to solar energy at UnderstandSolar.com. Futurism.com might earn a commission if you sign up via this link.
Advertisement
