Texas A&M public health researchers found that older homes with lead pipes, in conjunction with the chemicals used during the water purification process, underlie the problem.
According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization, lead exposure over time affects multiple body systems and is extremely harmful to children. Lead exposure is the cause behind the Flint Water Crisis in Michigan, but practices that led to the water contamination in Flint are also happening in communities in Houston, Texas.
While much attention is given to Flint, researchers at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, College of Architecture and College of Geosciences discovered lead contaminated water in residential areas through a pilot study along the Houston Ship Channel.
In work published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Garret Sansom, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the School of Public Health, led a study in Manchester, a low-income neighborhood along the Houston Ship Channel plagued with numerous issues including flooding, air pollution and health concerns. Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, increase the risk of exposure to lead in this area. Previous research has shown low-income minority communities have an increased risk of lead exposure, but few studies have examined the environmental justice factors of these communities.
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