Exposure to Lead from the Mystic River Bridge: The Dilemma of Deleading

Abstract

City dwellers in the United States are at risk of exposure to lead from numerous sources, including lead-based house paint,¹ employment in trades using lead,² airborne lead from automotive and industrial emissions,³ contaminated food⁴ and drinking water,⁵ house dust,⁶ soil,⁷ and occasionally, pottery glazes.⁸ Exposure from each of these sources is additive, and increased absorption of lead from any source reduces the already narrow margin between present-day background exposure and lead toxicity.⁹ Another, less well-recognized source of urban exposure to lead is the exterior paint applied to steel structures such as bridges, expressways, and elevated railways.^{10 , 11} Unlike interior paint, which . . .