“Exposure to lead can be exceedingly detrimental to one’s health. This effect is especially detrimental to the growing brains of youngsters. Tap water is the most widespread source of lead in our diet. There is evidence that socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are more likely to be exposed to tainted tap water. We anticipated that cities with lower per capita and median household incomes would have greater levels of lead in their tap water. We analyzed the 90th percentile lead levels in communities throughout the state of Missouri using data from annual water quality reports that were available to the public. Our data reveal that cities with the highest per capita income had 90th percentile lead levels that were substantially lower than cities with the lowest per capita income (2.620.28 ppb vs. 4.740.83 ppb). Similarly, cities with the highest median household income had 90th percentile lead levels that were considerably lower than cities with the lowest median household income quartile (2.440.29 parts per billion vs. 4.620.88 parts per billion). Given the long-lasting and irreversible health impacts of lead exposure, these findings have important implications for allocating resources to mitigate the effects of lead on population health.”

Reference

https://emerginginvestigators.org/articles/correlation-of-socioeconomic-status-and-lead-concentration-in-tap-water-in-missouri