Community members in Southeast Los Angeles protest for the permanent closure of Exide Technologies in Vernon. Photo credit: Idalmis Vaquero

Just two miles from Exide Technologies in Vernon, California, a young Latina girl picks up some soil while playing at Salazar Park. Her mother immediately drops her work, and takes her daughter home to wash the soil off her hands. Why did she need to wash her daughter’s hands? State officials have told people in Southeast Los Angeles to keep children from playing with soil- testing has shown elevated lead levels in the soil near Exide’s Vernon facility, a lead smelter that has a chronic history of environmental violations.

A recent study published in the Environmental Geochemistry and Health Journal by Aelion et al., highlights the social inequities of lead exposure that are seen in this case. The study found that Black and Latino low-income children living in urban areas are at a greater risk of exposure to lead in soil compared to White children who come from a more affluent backgroud. The study examined two rural and two urban areas in South Carolina and found a relationship between lead exposure based on race, ethnicity, income, and geographic location.

Although legislation passed in the 1970s banned lead-based paint and leaded gasoline, exposure to lead is still a major public health issue, especially in recent years where over 177,000 children had blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter. Although 5 micrograms per deciliter sounds like a small dose, the effects have huge consequences.  Lead exposure has been linked to impaired brain development in the early years, negative neurological outcomes, lower IQ, behavioral problems, and hearing impairments. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are no known safe blood lead levels in children and lead exposure is entirely preventable, which means more should be done to protect all children.

So why are some children more at risk that others? These are some reasons the study by Aelion et al. found:

1. Race matters.

Aelion et al. point to race as an important determinant of lead exposure, with Black and Latino communities having a higher risk. This is partially due to the racial residential segregation that still exists in the United States today. To provide some context, 85% of residents living in Southeast Los Angeles are of color and 69% of those are Latino. Residential segregation, on average, affects access to employment opportunities, the quality of housing and neighborhoods, and the access and quality of medical care. These factors raise the likelihood that a person works at a facility that handles lead, a family lives in housing with lead-based paint, and a family lacks access to blood lead testing and medical treatment for children with possible lead poisoning.

2. Low-income, high risk.

It is also important to note that many racial and ethnic minority individuals are also low-income. The study by Aelion et al argues that the combined association of race and a low income creates an even higher risk of lead exposure in children. In addition to being a predominately Latino community, 55% of the households in Southeast Los Angeles live 200% below the national poverty line. Low-income communities generally have less social participation given a higher concern to meet basic needs, which means people are less likely to demand lead clean-up in their communities even if there is contamination. Some families also tend not to address lead contamination, because it is a costly issue that does not have the most immediate or obvious effects.

3. Urban areas mean more lead.

According to Aelion et al., urban areas have higher concentrations of lead since they generally have more potential sources of pollution. Congested roads with a legacy of leaded gasoline, housing units built before the 1970s with lead-based paint, and industries that handle lead increase the pathways by which the pollutant can enter a child’s body.

The threat of lead contamination is even more serious in Southeast Los Angeles. There are 9 lead emitters in Southeast Los Angeles, one of which is Exide, a facility that has over a dozen of environmental violations for emitting high levels of lead into the air, water, and soil nearby. Los Angeles also has a many roads and a substantial amount of housing built before 1970s.  The simple fact that a child lives in an urban environment contributes to a higher risk of lead exposure. However, it is important to recognize that all of these factors are interconnected; low-income children of color also tend to live in inner cities.

Fortunately, there are environmental justice organizations that are addressing the various dimensions of this problem.  Organizations, such as Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) in Southeast Los Angeles tirelessly fought for the closure of Exide Technologies and are currently fighting for the cleanup of the homes affected.

But, this is not just about Los Angeles or South Carolina.  There is a strong awareness that the fight to reduce lead exposure is not yet over.Communities around the country affected by unjust lead exposure should know that they are not alone; our children’s futures depend on our efforts to demand a safe environment for them to live and play in.