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Youngstown City Schools lead levels
YOUNGSTOWN
Mahoning County District Board of Health laboratory services reported one location in the Youngstown City Schools with lead levels above the allowable limit of 15 parts per billion.
Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for infants and children, and schools nationwide took up lead-testing practices after it was revealed that high lead levels were found in Flint, Mich., and Sebring.
According to a city schools news release, one location, a “little-used sink” in the basement kitchen at Choffin Career and Technical Center, tested at 40 ppb – more than double the 15 ppb the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said is allowable before a community has to take steps to remediate lead levels.
Scott Bolam, county board of health laboratory services division director, recommended that the sink should not be used for drinking.
Stephen Stohla, Youngstown schools superintendent, said the sink is shut down and the pipes are going to be replaced soon.
“We’re going to make sure we eliminate as much danger as possible,” he said. “If we can’t eliminate the problem, we’ll eliminate the sink.”
Stohla said although he’s not an expert on lead, he thinks the high level may be due to a lack of use of the sink.
Bolam also said the lack of use could’ve been a contributing factor.
“If it is not used frequently, it should be flushed and tested again,” he said. “If it still shows high, it’s possible a filter could be put on it to remove lead.”
One other sample from a Choffin drinking fountain in the basement resulted in 11.2 ppb. It was not over the allowable limit of 15 ppb but was higher than all other results throughout the schools.
All other results from the city schools were reported to be under the detectable limit of 5 ppb.
In April 2014, doctors in Flint detected elevated levels of lead in hundreds of children. A team from Virginia Tech detected cases of up to 13,200 ppb in home water supplies after Flint officials switched from Detroit water to Flint River water to save money.
Not anticipated was that the more corrosive water would cause lead, a neurotoxin, to leach from aging pipes into homes and into children’s systems.
Warren residents also experienced a high lead issue in the summer of 2015 – although hardly anyone was informed by the city – with results of up to 64 ppb.
In January 2016, lead levels in Sebring water of up to 36 ppb shut down schools for several days.