American children whose homes rely on private wells for drinking water are 25% more likely to have high lead levels in their blood than those with access to regulated community water services, according to new research. The lead exposure is worse for poor and black children due to historic discriminatory public policies. Lead, a heavy metal which has no smell and is invisible to the naked eye, is a suspected carcinogen and highly toxic to the brain and nervous system, as well as most other organs. The water scandal in Flint, Michigan, in 2014 exposed concerns about lead in regulated city drinking water supplies, but little attention has been paid to dangerous contaminants in unregulated private wells which provide drinking water to 42.5 million Americans, the equivalent of 13% of the population.
Researchers, who examined the water sources and health records from almost 60,000 children in North Carolina, found that those relying on private wells had blood lead concentrations that were 20% higher, on average, than children with community water service. The study also found that children living in older, lower-value houses suffered higher lead levels and had higher risks of elevated blood lead, as did those in majority-black neighbourhoods.
There is no safe lead level, according to the CDC, and childhood exposure has been linked to reduced IQ, ADHD, school failure and criminality. Private wells are excluded from the Safe Drinking Water Act, which since 1991 has required all community water utilities to monitor lead levels as part of the Lead and Copper Rule provision. This means households with private wells must monitor their own water quality, and, when necessary, replace parts and install and manage their own corrosion-control systems.
Source: Guardian
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