Lead-based paint was used in many homes that were built before the 1980s. These homes continued to be wrought with lead contamination decades past when lead was found to be dangerous, however. Many homeowners either didn’t know they had lead contamination in their homes, or couldn’t afford to have the lead removed. This leads to many children being affected by lead-based paint in homes up to this day. Any amount of lead in the bloodstream is not safe for a child, and for some children who grow up in homes with lead paint or lead pipes, they can have lead levels of 11 micrograms per deciliter, an extremely high level of lead that will lead to many developmental issues. Many of these children who consume lead and develop lead poisoning will have major brain and nerve damage, which leads to learning disabilities and behavioral problems in the child.
Many of these problems also disproportionately affect people in urban areas. Many homes in urban areas were built before lead started to be regulated and banned for the number of health problems that it causes. After these homes were built and lead was found to be dangerous, many of the owners of the homes couldn’t afford to have the lead abated and removed. This is what has led to around a half-million Americans having dangerous levels of lead in their bloodstreams. It doesn’t take a lot of lead to develop lead poisoning, either. According to Helen Meier, an epidemiology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s school of public health, “A sugar-size packet of lead dust throughout a two-bedroom home is enough to create a lead-poisoned child.”
As you can see, this dangerous lead problem in urban areas should be of great concern. This is why it should be of utmost importance for urban city planners and homeowners to start removing the lead that was used to build their cities.
