In 2014, the Flint, Michigan water crisis broke out when high levels of lead were exposed to 100,000 residents. The crisis is well known and has been going on for two years, with no end in sight. While levels of lead have been reduced, residents are still unable to use anything but bottled water for drinking, bathing, and cleaning. Unfortunately, this is not the first or the last time lead exposure has been a problem. Recently in the past year, high levels of lead exposure have been afflicting upwards of 29 Californian communities in and around Fresno. Each of these 29 neighborhoods have levels of lead at the same or higher rates in Flint.

One central zip code in Fresno was tested for lead and 13.6% of children under six had high levels of lead in their bloodstreams according to U.S News. While in comparison to Flint where only 5% of the population tested positive for lead poisoning during the crisis. In response to this incident and other cases in cities like Fresno, California Assemblymember, Bill Quirk, proposed legislation that would require blood lead testing for all children. Currently, only at-risk children who are enrolled in Medicaid or live in older housing are tested, which is why Quirk and California’s Public Health Department argue that the percentage is so high and skewed that it is incomparable to other states. However, California is hardly the only state that only tests at-risks, as it is actually a common practice across the country. The problem with such a practice though is that many children who may be affected by lead but are not considered high risk fall through the cracks.

While the true source cannot be found through blood tests, lead poisoning is a problem that plagues not only California but all of the U.S. According to Reuters, there are nearly 3,000 areas nationwide with lead poisoning rates that at least double that of Flint. While each case of lead poisoning is different, lead exposure typically comes from crumbling old paint, tainted soil, and contaminated drinking water.

Depending on the longevity of the poisoning, lead can cause irreparable long term health effects in young children, such as cognitive and growth deficiency.

“The biggest issue for lead is for developing children, because it affects the development of the nervous system.” AP Chemistry teacher, Randy Dingwall said.

With such adverse effects, measures are being made nationwide against future lead poisoning outbreaks. Part of the problem with lead poisoning is preventing and detecting it before it happens. Because of this, many states and cities are now considering similar legislation to what Bill Quirk proposed. Another action being made this month in California to prevent lead poisoning is Emeryville’s city council’s new ordinance which requires proof that all contractors will adhere to Environmental Protection Agency standards. With more attention and caution being raised around the topic of lead, lead poisoning may one day finally become a thing of the past.