Assessing Low-Level Lead Exposure in Atlanta, Georgia Open Access

Abstract

Lead poisoning is often seen as a problem of the past. While acute cases are now rare, there is no safe level of lead and blood lead levels at and below 5 μg/dL are associated with neurological deficits. Previous work has established that risk factors for lead exposure include race/ethnicity, poverty, Medicaid enrollment, housing built before 1950, and age. Pockets of poverty and old housing in the greater Atlanta area put some children at particularly high risk for chronic exposure to low levels of lead. Here, 20 years of data on children’s blood lead levels in Georgia were used to create maps to assess the spatial distribution of blood lead screening and blood lead levels in the Atlanta area. ZIP code-level screening rates continue to be associated with relative poverty but not with housing age, a well-established risk factor for lead exposure. Building on previous research, a priority screening index based on poverty and housing age was also created to identify specific high-risk census tracts within Atlanta ZIP codes. This index shows a cluster of eight highest-priority census tracts in Atlanta’s westside a low income historically disadvantaged area. This cluster of census tracts contains 1220 children under six years old, 0.8% of all children under six years old in the greater Atlanta area.  

Table of Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1

Methods …….…………………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………….5

Results ……….…………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………8

Discussion ………….…………………………………………..………………………………………………………………………..18

References ………….………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………...22

Appendix ……….……………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………..28

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Quantitative Science
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Environmental Health Health Sciences, Public Health Health Sciences, Epidemiology
Keyword	Atlanta, Georgia Blood lead levels GIS Lead
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Saikawa, Eri, Emory University
Committee Members	Jacobson, Jeremy, Emory University Caudle, W. Michael, Emory University

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