California

Lead Poisoning Among Children in Some California Locales Higher Than Flint

In one Fresno zip code, 13.6 percent of blood tests on children under six years old came back high for lead

Dozens of California communities have experienced recent rates of childhood lead poisoning that surpass those of Flint, Michigan, blood testing data obtained by Reuters shows, NBC News reported.

The data shows how lead poisoning affects even a state known for its environmental advocacy, with high rates of childhood exposure found in a swath of the Bay Area and downtown Los Angeles. And the figures show that, despite national strides in eliminating lead-based products, hazards remain in areas far from the Rust Belt or East Coast regions filled with old housing and legacy industry.

In one Fresno zip code, 13.6 percent of blood tests on children under six years old came back high for lead. 

In all, Reuters found at least 29 Golden State neighborhoods where children had elevated lead tests at rates at least as high as in Flint.

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