ATSDR: East Chicago Superfund Blood Lead Levels Higher Than Overall City

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Original story from IPBS-RJC

Lauren Chapman

Article origination IPBS-RJC

A new study shows the historical blood lead levels of children in East Chicago’s Superfund site remained higher than those in the rest of the city.

This contradicts a previous 2011 health assessment from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry – ATSDR – did not parse blood lead levels in the Superfund from the rest of the city. It concluded the Superfund site did not pose a health threat to residents living in it.

However, the new ATSDR study takes geography into account and determined there is still a health threat.

The agency said it will conduct an extensive review of past and present environmental lead sources in another report.

It also recommends working with the Indiana State Department of Health and the local health department to encourage blood lead testing in children, and enter children with elevated levels into case management to address the effects of lead in their bodies.

ATSDR will host a community forum Saturday at 10 a.m. central in the former Carrie Gosche Elementary School in East Chicago to discuss the report.

Tags:East Chicago lead contamination

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