GSA Connects 2021 in Portland, Oregon

Paper No. 216-11
Presentation Time: 11:05 AM

LEAD POLLUTION, DEMOGRAPHICS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISKS IN PHILADELPHIA, USA


GIERÉ, Reto1, O'SHEA, Michael J.2, TOUPAL, Jonas3, CABALLERO-GÓMEZ, Hasibe4, MCKEON, Tomas5, HOWARTH, Marilyn5 and PEPINO, Richard6, (1)Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania, 240 S. 33rd Street, Hayden Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316, (2)Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, 240 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (3)Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (4)Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, Haverford, PA 19041, (5)Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316, (6)University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Lead soil contamination in urban environments represents a continuing health risk for exposed populations, which often include environmental justice communities. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lead pollution is a major concern primarily due to extensive historical Pb-smelting and -processing activity as well as past use of Pb-based paints and leaded gasoline. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) organized and/or compiled community-driven sampling campaigns to investigate Pb content in surface soils across Philadelphia. Using these Pb-in-soil data, augmented by data collected by the University of Pennsylvania, we explored the spatial distribution of Pb content in soils across the city by applying ArcGIS. While assessing zip-code level data, we found strong correlations between factors such as percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels (% EBLL) and % minority population as well as between % EBLL and % children in poverty. We developed a “Lead Index” that is based on demographics, median measured Pb-in-soil content, and % EBLLs to identify zip codes in need of further assessment. Our results may be used to reduce and/or mitigate the Pb-exposure risk for vulnerable children living in disproportionately burdened communities.