Elevated Blood Levels Among Chicago Children

Lead is a heavy, soft, malleable metal. Due to its physical and chemical properties, industry has found countless uses for lead in our daily lives. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, while certain uses of lead are banned, lead is still found in a myriad of products. Lead enters the body through ingestion or inhalation. The dynamics of long-term lead poisoning of children can affect a child's life well into adulthood. Moreover, one of the long-term effects could result in criminal behavior. For approximately four years, I worked on research highlighted in this book, studying maps of lead poisoning in conjunction with psychological effects on persons within Chicagoland neighborhoods. The goal with my research was to compare map results with previous records indicating lead-contamination, then verify whether or not there was a correlation to high crime or academically low achieving neighborhoods.