Childhood Lead Poisoning

Science Café Topic: Eliminating Childhood Lead Poisoning: Is it Worth the Cost?

with

John Sobolewski

Deputy Director, Cuyahoga County Board of Health

January 14, 2019

Originally scheduled for OCTOBER 8, 2018

The following resources and titles provide an additional look at the topics of this month's talk for you to explore further (along with some fiction titles just for fun). Enjoy!

Non-Fiction

What The Eyes Don't See : A Story Of Crisis, Resistance, And Hope In An American City by Mona Hanna-Attisha (2018)
- "The dramatic story of the signature environmental disaster of our time and an inspiring tale of scientific resistance by a relentless physician who stood up to power. Flint was already a troubled city in 2014 when the state of Michigan--in the name of austerity--shifted the source of its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Soon after, citizens began complaining about the water that flowed from their taps--but officials rebuffed them, insisting that the water was fine. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the city's public hospital, took state officials at their word and encouraged the parents and children in her care to continue drinking the water--after all, it was American tap water, blessed with the state's seal of approval. But a conversation at a cookout with an old friend, leaked documents from a rogue environmental inspector, and the activism of a concerned mother raised red flags about lead--a neurotoxin whose irreversible effects fall most heavily on children."
Poisoned Water with Smith, Llewellyn (author, television director, producer) DVD (2017)
- In this special report, NOVA investigates the water disaster in Flint and unravels a disturbing truth about the vulnerabilities of water systems across the country. Discover the delicate intricacies of water chemistry, the biology of lead poisoning, and the engineering challenge of replacing this ravaged infrastructure.
Healing Gotham : New York City's Public Health Policies For The Twenty-First Century by Bruce Berg (2015)
- The Big Apple has long played a leading role in the development of U.S. public health policy, the author observes, and other large cities in the United States can learn much from the ways in which the city has approached these issues, while Gotham itself must keep these strategies in mind as it is faced with future problems. VERDICT Berg's extensive research, keen analysis, and clear exposition, as well as his unique perspective as a political scientist, make this an invaluable resource for any policymaker, politician, health-care provider, or concerned citizen. (Excerpt - Library Journal)
Homeowner's and renter's guide to reducing lead hazards after disasters from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2015) (online resource)
- Full color 4-page booklet from US EPA.
Lead Wars : The Politics Of Science And The Fate Of America's Children by Gerald Markowitz (2013)
- Markowitz and Rosner have written an outstanding book describing the scope of childhood lead poisoning and exploring why, despite remediation efforts, lead poisoning remains a problem related primarily to poor housing and poverty. The authors document the evolving understanding of childhood lead poisoning from a clinical issue to a public health concern and describe the political and legal aspects that have blocked many attempts at effective remediation. Within this context, the authors not only describe the tragedy and flawed ethical framework of an EPA-funded study assessing whether less-than-complete methods of lead removal from housing in inner city Baltimore could be effective but also place the study within the larger context of public health concerns in which advocates are presented with an intractable problem. The final chapter, "A Plague on All Our Houses," raises the question of whether public health practitioners can work to prevent disease or, in the present regulatory and antiscience environment, simply adjust to "the politics of 'economic feasibility,'" robbing children of their health and full potential. (Excerpt - Choice)
Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home by United States Environmental Protection Agency (2013) (online resource)
- 17-page brochure outlining steps to take to protect your family.
Lead Poisoning: A Historical Perspective from the United States Environmental Protection Agency
- From the EPA Archives, this article provides a look at the changing attitudes and legislation concerning lead poisoning from ancient times to the 1980s.

Cleveland Public Library - Main Library - 325 Superior Ave - Cleveland, Ohio 44114 - 216-623-2800

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