Unleaded is a joint investigation by The Missouri Independent and NPR's Midwest Newsroom exploring the issue of high levels of lead in children in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
Do you have a question for us or a story to share? Email: [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].
How the lead industry misled the public about its toxic problem for decades
Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin. Researchers have known that for decades. But the substance stuck around in everyday products like paint and gasoline for decades. One big reason: The lead industry spent years using racial bias to divert public attention away from the dangers of the toxin and minimized the impact of mounting evidence indicating […]
Bill requiring Missouri schools to cut down lead in drinking water heading to governor
Legislation on its way to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk could drastically cut down on the amount of lead allowed in school drinking water in an effort to protect children from the toxic metal. Across the U.S., millions of homes and schools are still served by decades-old lead water lines, which can leach the dangerous neurotoxin […]
Legislature on the verge of requiring Missouri schools test, filter water for lead
Missouri lawmakers are poised to require schools test and, potentially, filter drinking water to prevent lead poisoning, making the state one of just a handful that require administrators to meet standards stricter than federal regulations. The state offers grants for schools to pay for water testing, but there is no requirement to test, and only […]
Missouri Senate overwhelmingly approves bill requiring schools test, filter water for lead
Schools in Missouri would be required to test drinking water for lead, and install filters if it’s above safe levels, under a bill that won near-unanimous approval Monday in the state Senate. The proposal, amended onto a separate bill by Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, passed on a 32-1 vote. “Let’s make sure our students, […]
Missouri Independent, Midwest Newsroom host discussion on high levels of lead in children
Thousands of children in the Midwest continue to have elevated levels of lead in their blood. On Tuesday at 7p.m., join The Missouri Independent and NPR’s Midwest Newsroom for a Facebook Live discussion of the issue, which is the subject of a months-long collaborative investigation by the two organizations. Tune in to hear more and […]
Known to be toxic for a century, lead still poisons thousands of Midwestern kids
When the pediatrician recommended Lisa Pascoe have her then-toddler tested for lead poisoning, she thought there was no way he could be at risk. Everything in her South St. Louis home had been remodeled. But then the nurse called to say her son’s blood lead level was dangerously high — five times the level federal […]
Missouri House bill would cut down on poisonous lead in school drinking water
Missouri children would be better protected from lead poisoning under a state legislative bill to require schools to nearly rid their drinking water of the dangerous toxin. The bill, heard Monday by the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, would require schools to test drinking water, remove old coolers and filter water where lead is […]
Kansas State to study cost-effective ways cities can reduce exposure to lead in soil
A new study being conducted by Kansas State University researchers is looking at ways to reduce the risk of exposure to lead in soil in the hopes of finding affordable methods that could be replicated around the country. Ganga Hettiarachchi is a professor of soil and environmental chemistry and is leading the research with her […]