Delicious but deadly

Don't let your kids eat the lead dirt.

The amount of lead in the topsoil of playgrounds, yards and other neighborhood spots may be the best indicator of how likely children are to have high lead levels in their blood, according to a new study from Tulane University.

The study, conducted by Howard Mielke, a Tulane geographer and environmental researcher, upends a common notion that young children have the highest chance of lead exposure inside their homes because of lead paint or pipes.

Instead, research that ties blood lead levels to soil lead levels suggests an underestimated source of exposure is in outside play areas, where young children often engage in what experts call “hand-to-mouth activity” — in other words, inadvertently eating dirt.

The good news is Mielke's more recent study shows a significant drop in lead levels in both soil and blood samples. So things have gotten better.  He also says remediation is relatively easy to do. These Central City residents are hoping it is, anyway.