Prior to the 1950s, doctors thought lead poisoning was mostly a risk for industrial workers. Then, a doctor's hunch to test kids for lead revealed the issue was far more widespread than anyone had imagined.
Long-term exposure to certain kinds of air pollution increases the risk of premature death in Americans over 65 years old. And that finding holds true even at levels of air pollution below national standards.
Scientists have linked fracking with health issues for people who live near gas wells. Many wonder whether the fracking process itself is to blame. But one researcher thinks the problem might have nothing to do with fracking, but rather something we see so often, we hardly ever notice it.
According to a new study, about 35 percent of kids who live near sources of pollution in Allegheny County have asthma. The national asthma rate is about 8 percent. The pollution, and the asthma it causes, have far-reaching consequences in a child’s life.
Clairton sits in the shadow of US Steel's massive Clairton Coke Works. There's a growing concern among residents that the plant's emissions are causing asthma and cancer. But can a town prove that pollution is causing its health problems?
A research team at Carnegie Mellon is one year into a three-year project to help people in the Pittsburgh region learn more about pollutants they’re exposed to through the air. It’s funded through the EPA’s Air Pollution Monitoring for Communities program, and it was one of only six projects funded throughout the country.
The Clairton Coke plant - the largest in the country - has become something of a lightening rod in this community. And the town is full of people who are new to understanding what's going on and becoming active for the first time. Meet three of them.
Old pipes aren't the only way lead can get into your drinking water. The faucets and fittings and solder on the pipes inside your house can also contain lead. But if you want to replace older plumbing, it’s not always easy to find the right products at the hardware store.
