If you are reporting on the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan, on follow-up stories in other locations, or on any other stories related to lead exposure, it helps to have handy an overview of the facts and research related to lead exposure.
This graph from the CDC provides a nice summary of how lead levels in children’s blood has fallen from 1997 to 2014. The CDC also contains a very extensive list of the physiological effects of lead on adults and children in both chronic low-level amounts and acute high-level amounts. It’s part of the CDC’s educational case study from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. One such condition is encephalopathy, on which the NIH has a quick fact sheet. Among other CDC resources are pages on where lead is found, exposure routes, persons most at risk, diagnostic tests, a collection of surveillance data, prevention tips, and general information for consumers. An MMWR from the CDC discusses how low-income families and minorities are at disproportionately higher risk for exposure. Also helpful is a more concise overview on lead at the Environmental Protection Agency webpage and this fact sheet from the World Health Organization.
Some particularly relevant studies include the following: a 2000 study on the cognitive effectsof blood lead levels even below 5 microg/dL, which was below the CDC’s upper limit recommendation of 10 microg/dl until the CDC lowered it to 5 microg/dL in 2012; this 2008 review on the neurodevelopmental effects of even low levels of lead exposure; a 2009 study suggesting that each additional blood level concentration of 1 microg/dL correlates with a reduction of 1 IQ point; and this 2003 non-paywalled article focusing on “the reasons for the child’s exquisite sensitivity, the behavioral effects of lead, how these effects are best measured, and the long-term outlook for the poisoned child.”
The Shorenstein’s Center’s Journalist Research offers a nice overview summary of the effects of lead exposure and how many people the problem affects throughout the U.S. and the world. Their resource page also includes a helpful list of studies and their summaries for reporters looking for data about specific effects or specific populations.