Groundwater Chemistry and Children's Blood Lead Levels: A County-Wise Analysis in the United States.

ABSTRACT: Groundwater is a major source of drinking water in the United States (US). Groundwater chemistry can contribute to lead leaching from water supply pipes due to factors such as pH and mineral content that influence corrosion. Lead exposure disproportionately affects children from low-income neighborhoods. We evaluated the association of county-level groundwater chemicals with the percentage of children with blood lead levels >5 μg/dL (BLL5%) in 1,104 US counties served by public water utilities using groundwater. Out of the 4,844 BLL5% observations, 3,525 had values of "NA" for BLL5%. We used weighted least squares regression to evaluate the associations, adjusting for covariates such as county-level median household income, educational attainment, and poverty rates. Bayesian Kernel Machine

SUBMITTER: Pickering EV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12809049 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature