The Illinois Department of Public Health announced [ July 3, 2024] Wednesday an expanded list of high-risk for lead exposure ZIP codes. [IL-DPH and WGN] IDPH is recommending increased mandatory testing for lead exposure of children who live within those areas. One hundred and forty-eight new zip codes, representing parts of 60 Illinois counties, have… Read more »
Posts Tagged: environmental
Getting the Lead Out: A Career-Long Perspective onLeaded Gasoline, Dust, Soil, and Proactive Pediatric Exposure Prevention
Howard W. Mielke, Ph.D. Affiliation, Department of Pharmacology,Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USASara Perl Egendorf, Ph.D., Researcher, NYC Compost Project Hostedby Earth Matter, New York, NY“The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must not concealany part of what one has recognized to be true.” Albert Einstein.Engraved on a… Read more »
ILLINOIS RECEIVES $240.9 MILLION FOR LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT
llinois is receiving nearly $241 million to identify and replace lead service lines, which connect water mains to people’s homes, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said last week. [Health News Illinois] The effort aims to prevent kids from being exposed to lead in drinking water. Lead can have serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to… Read more »
Durbin, Garcia propose update to national lead prevention measures
Two of Illinois’ federal lawmakers want to update national regulations related to lead poisoning. [Health News Illinois] The plan, proposed by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Chicago, would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to use risk assessments for low-income housing built before 1978 before a family moves into… Read more »
EPA sets first-ever national limits for ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
The Biden administration on Wednesday set the first-ever national limits for toxic and pervasive ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water. [The Hill] The administration’s action seeks to reduce the amount of chemicals belonging to a class known as PFAS in drinking water. These substances, which have been used to make waterproof and nonstick products, have seeped into a… Read more »
Durbin, Duckworth call on MCOs to address lead poisoning risk for children
Illinois’ two Democratic senators have called on Medicaid managed care organizations to do more to address lead poisoning risks to children in Chicago. [Health News Illinois] Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin urged the heads of the state’s five MCOs to take presumptive preventive action to protect children. That includes sending drinking water test kits,… Read more »
EPA seeking input on lead exposure from lead wheel weights
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking the public for information on the potential ways in which people might be exposed to lead through the use of wheel weights. Lead exposure can have devastating impacts to human health and can be especially harmful to developing children. [Green Car Congress] The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) requests information… Read more »
Lead in water a threat to two-thirds of young children in Chicago
Two out of three very young children in Chicago were exposed to at least trace amounts of lead in their home tap water, a study found, highlighting the need for City Hall to speed up replacements of brain-damaging lead pipes. [Chicago Sun-Times] A study by Johns Hopkins and Stanford researchers, published Monday in the medical… Read more »
FDA recalls 6 more cinnamon products due to elevated lead levels
The agency is urging U.S. cinnamon makers and distributors to conduct more product control testing in the wake of recent lead contamination outbreaks. Manufacturing Dive Joelle Anselmo Staff Reporter
Illinois moves to limit toxic forever chemicals in wells
Illinois is moving to join 10 other states that limit toxic forever chemicals in underground sources of water. [Chicago Tribune 3.9.2024] Regulations unveiled Wednesday by the Illinois Pollution Control Board are intended to protect millions of people from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS, some of which build up in human blood, cause cancer and other diseases… Read more »