Lead found in hundreds of Chicago homes’ tap water, report says

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(CNN) Toxic lead was found in tap water drawn from nearly 70% of 2,797 homes across Chicago within the past two years, according to a Chicago Tribune analysis of results from the tested water. The daily newspaper published a report on that analysis Thursday. Tap water in three of every 10 homes included in the analysis had lead concentrations above 5 parts per billion, the Tribune reported

Lead can leach from certain kinds of pipes as water travels from utilities to home faucets. The US Environmental Protection Agency has set its limit for lead in tap water at 15 parts per billion — but for bottled water, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, the limit is 5 parts per billion.

Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body, and no safe blood lead level in children has been identified, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s why the concentrations found in Chicago are raising a few eyebrows. "My immediate take is that Chicago has a lead problem," said Dr. Philip Landrigan, dean for global health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and […]

Full article: Lead found in hundreds of Chicago homes’ tap water, report says