LAKEVIEW — There's been a lot of talk of lead in Chicago of late.
Almost half the city's parks have drinking fountains with elevated levels of lead, officials said Tuesday. Plus, more than 100 Chicago Public Schools have contaminated water sources, with 200 more to be tested this school year, and 17 Catholic elementary schools exceeded the EPA's "action level."
Since cities like Flint, Mich., suffered such extreme consequences of lead poisoning, there have been renewed efforts to protect the public from lead's adverse effects.
In one such move, a Chicago environmental education group will give away free lead paint testing strips and help families get free water testing kits from the Chicago Department of Water Management during the Low-Line Market Thursday.
The Chicago Conservation Corps will also share tips on the signs of lead poisoning, prevention and resources for lead paint remediation. There will also be a chance to win a free water filter.
The Low-Line Market will run from 3-7 p.m. Thursday under the Southport Brown Line station, 3410 N. Southport Ave.
Homes built before 1978 are much more likely to have lead-based paint, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Of the oldest houses in the United States — those built before 1940 — almost 90 percent have lead paint.
If buried under layers of newer paint, lead-based paint poses little threat. But if paint is peeling, cracked or otherwise damaged, it could be a hazard, particularly on surfaces that children can reach.
The main threat in Chicago are corroding lead pipes or pipes soldered with lead, officials said. After 1986, lead was no longer used as building material, so structures built more recently are less at risk.
Typically, drinking lead-contaminated water alone will not elevate blood lead levels in most adults, the Centers for Disease Control said. Children and pregnant women, though, are "especially vulnerable."
Read more about the health effects of lead exposure here.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.
