EXPLORING EXPOSURE PATHWAYS OF CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING IN LANCASTER CITY, PENNSYLVNIA

Childhood lead poisoning is of significant national public health concern. Exposure to lead during childhood development can lead to the onset of learning difficulties and developmental delays. The CDC asserts that over half a million U.S. children aged 1-5 have elevated Blood Lead Levels (eBLLs) over the level of concern of 5 ug/dL. According to the PA Department of Health, the city of Lancaster, PA is plagued with high rates of childhood lead poisoning (10.95% of the children tested have confirmed eBLLs over 5 ug/dL), while also suffering from low screening rates (only 27.58% of the children have been tested for lead). Lead paint is generally considered to be one of the most prominent exposure pathways. However, this study evaluated additional pathways which may have exacerbated the prevalence of eBLLs in the children of Lancaster. In particular, this study focused on determining whether the presence of railroad lines in vulnerable Lancaster communities increase the risk of lead exposure to the population of children in the city. To assess this exposure we utilized ESRI’s ArcGIS, ArcMAP 10.1 software to geocode the addresses of licensed childcare centers. We overlaid this data with census tract data acquired from the staff epidemiologists at Lancaster General Hospital, which contained the number of children with eBLLs, as well as the total number of children screened for lead. These methods led us to focus on census tract 42071000400, where the highest concentrations of childcare centers are. Additionally, we used X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology to test areas on or near where the rail lines used to exist, for the presence of lead. We tested four locations: an area adjacent to the City Lines Childcare center; an area near Franklin and Marshall athletic fields and adjacent to current rail beds; the Lancaster Cemetery; and Linear Park. Overall, based on our preliminary data, we concluded that historical railroads did not pose a significant risk to the population of children living in Lancaster City. However, because of previous testing results and remediation in old track bedding, we feel that the topic requires additional exploration to conclude that these areas do not exceed EPA’s levels of concern for contaminated soil that may adversely affect children.