Sept. 22, 2022 -- Chicago’s tap water is delivering lead to residents, according to an analysis of the city’s water data.

One in 20 tap water tests found lead levels at or above federal limits, The Guardian reported. The levels were about a third more lead than allowed in bottled water.

“This means that out of the 24,000 tests, approximately 1,000 homes had lead exceeding federal standards,” The Guardian wrote. “Experts and locals say these results raise broader concerns, because there are an estimated 400,000 lead pipes supplying water to homes in the city, and the vast majority were not tested as part of the program.

“Moreover, they say the city is not moving fast enough to eliminate the potential danger.”

Gizmodo cited one household that had 1,100 parts per billion. The limit proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency is 15 ppb.

Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin and is especially harmful to infants and children. It damages the development of the brain and central nervous system. Long-term exposure can result in “intellectual disability and behavioral disorders,” the World Health Organization says.

The Guardian analysis found that most homes with elevated lead levels in Chicago are in mostly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods.

Recently, residents of Jackson, Mississippi, had dirty water pour out of their pipes. People in Baltimore and Mansfield, Massachusetts, were told to boil their water after officials found E. coli was found in the water supply.

And in Flint, Michigan, a water crisis began in 2014 after the city started supplying water from the heavily polluted Flint River instead of water treated from Lake Huron.

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

Gizmodo: “Chicago’s Tap Water Contaminated With Lead, Analysis Finds.”

© 2005 - 2022 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.