It’s not just happening in Flint. Millions of Americans live in cities where old pipes could be leaching lead into drinking water. Pittsburgh is no exception. In recent years, lead levels in the city’s water have climbed above what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers safe. And residents continue to live with the legacy of lead paint in their homes and lead-contaminated soil. So how did we get here? And what will it take to fix the problem?
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.
If you have an older home, there's a pretty good chance you also have lead paint. But there are some simple things you can do to keep your family safe.
The decision to switch to a cheaper, less-effective treatment chemical was likely a major contributor to the recent spike in lead levels in Pittsburgh's drinking water.
Some say it's better corrosion control. Others say it's getting lead service lines out of the system altogether. But many observers agree that current federal regulations are totally inadequate.
Some fancy science, that's what. As in some inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy — a process that can analyze samples quickly and with super-accurate results.
A PublicSource investigation digs into which Allegheny County schools are testing for environmental toxins, how often they're testing, and what steps they’re taking to correct problems.
While the state was trying to reassure residents that their lead-tainted water was safe, ACLU reporter Curt Guyette started digging deeper and uncovered an epic environmental tragedy.
Scientists have known for a long time that even low levels of lead can cause neurological problems in children. But a new study shows those impacts may be felt for generations.
Back in the early 20th century, lead was considered the "Cadillac" of materials when it came to water pipes. And many cities are still dealing with the harmful impacts of lead's legacy.
