Four U.S. states are still struggling with high rates of lead poisoning from soil, pipes and paint. It impacts thousands of people each year, especially low-income communities and families of color.
We asked global thinkers like Malala, doctors dealing with the pandemic, educators and more — if you were in charge of the world, what would you like to see happen this year.
The White House released an action plan to replace lead pipes and lead paint in the U.S. within the next decade. Lead contamination is known to have detrimental effects on the brain and kidneys.
It's the first time global data has been gathered on the extent of the problem. Experts are calling it a "groundbreaking" report. And the ill effects can last for a lifetime.
Home renovations can kick up dangerous dust from lead-based paint. A new report finds the Environmental Protection Agency is not adequately enforcing rules meant to protect kids from lead exposure.
They live in the lead-contaminated village of Kabwe, Zambia. A World Bank loan for lead cleanup offered reason for hope. A new report assesses the current situation.
After warning of elevated lead levels in her patients in Flint, Mich., Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha faced a backlash: "The state said that I was an unfortunate researcher, that I was causing near-hysteria."
LeeAnne Walters demanded action from local officials, confronting them with bottles of discolored water. They dismissed her for months. She meticulously documented lead levels in Flint homes.
The Department of Defense has increased protections for military personnel from exposure to lead from firearms. It can be a health problem for people using recreational shooting ranges, too.
Researchers following a group of New Zealanders over the course of 40 years found an association between childhood lead exposure and declines in intelligence and socioeconomic status later in life.
Just before leaving office, the Obama administration banned the use of lead ammunition on federal land. Some hunters want President Trump to reverse the ban.
As a federal state of emergency ends for Flint, Mich., Mayor Karen Weaver says residents don't trust that government officials have fully addressed the lead contamination of their water.
Multiple testing options and false positives can leave parents confused about blood lead level readings. We found out how the tests work and what the results really mean for a child's health.
In the '70s, Dr. Herbert Needleman made a discovery that changed how people think about lead. His work led to a ban on lead in gasoline. But as seen in Flint, Mich., lead poisoning is still a concern.
Thousands of kids in Flint who have been exposed to high levels of lead are at risk of major behavioral and cognitive problems. But early education intervention can help mitigate these effects.
The city's 10-year plan to replace 900 miles of old pipes has been met with praise and criticism — and a lawsuit from residents who say the pipe work has raised lead levels in their drinking water.
Despite the attention to lead in water, the biggest health risk to children is still from lead paint. The city of Baltimore banned lead paint way back in 1950, but children continue to be poisoned.
David Rosner and Gerald Markowitz chronicle America's poisonous relationship with lead in Lead Wars. "We've created a terribly toxic environment in all sorts of ways," Rosner says.
Even low levels of lead in children can cause learning or behavioral problems, the CDC says. But foods packed with calcium, iron and vitamin C can help reduce the absorption of lead in kids.
