A study of children living near a small airport in California found that levels of the toxic metal lead in the blood of children within 1.5 kilometers were of concern.
health
January 10, 2023
Children who live near Reed Hillview Airport in California have elevated levels of metallic lead in their blood Aerial Archives/Alamy Stock Photo
Children who live near airports on small aircraft that use leaded fuel may be concerned about lead levels in their blood.
Lead was previously added to automobile fuels to improve engine performance. By the mid-20th century, it was recognized that environmental lead had detrimental effects on human health, including killing brain cells, making young children particularly vulnerable.
As a result, lead has been phased out of most vehicle fuels and removed from household substances such as paint.
However, most countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, allowed small aircraft to continue using leaded fuel. Today, these aircraft are responsible for his two-thirds of lead pollution in the United States.
To determine whether this poses a risk to children living near airports, Sammy Zahran of Colorado State University and his colleagues sampled from children under the age of 6 living within 2.4 kilometers of Chicago’s Reed Hillview Airport. A database of over 14,000 blood samples was examined. Santa Clara County, CA, 2011-2020. Samples were collected by the California Department of Public Health.
Zahran and his colleagues found that the closer children lived to airports, the more likely they were to have blood lead levels above 4.5 micrograms per deciliter, defined by the state of California as the threshold of concern. discovered.
This is similar to the 3.0 micrograms per deciliter threshold recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 5.0 micrograms per deciliter threshold set by UK public health authorities.
Children living downwind of airports had lead concentrations that were more than double those of children living elsewhere, above the threshold of concern.
Santa Clara County, which owns the airport, did not respond to a request for comment.
Blood lead levels recorded for the period from February to July 2020 were lower on flights due to covid-19 restrictions. Zahran says it supports the premise that it is a direct result of exhaust emissions from “You can think of this as a natural experiment,” he says.
The relationship between distance from the airport and lead levels is complex, but “kids living within 0.5 to 1.5 kilometers are at higher risk,” he says.
The findings may add weight to calls for small aircraft to switch to alternative unleaded fuels, which are not yet widely available.
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