By examining the blood lead levels of 59,483 children living in North Carolina and matching the records with household water source information, researchers found that between 2002 and 2017, children living in homes relying on private wells were 25% more likely to exhibit elevated blood lead levels than children living in homes served by a water system regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and that the risks were compounded in African American neighborhoods lacking access to municipal water service.
Article #20-02729: "Children drinking private well water have higher blood lead than those with city water," by Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Michael Fisher, Allison Clonch, John M. MacDonald, and Philip J. Cook.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Indiana University Bloomington, IN; tel: 812-855-8769, 919-208-0816; email: jacmgibs@iu.edu
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences