Officials: More East Chicago kids must be tested for lead

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) - A gap in the number of children tested for lead in East Chicago appears to be narrowing, but according to officials there's more work to be done.

About 300 children age 7 and younger have had their blood tested since last summer, when East Chicago's mayor told residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex they should move because of high levels of lead and arsenic in the soil, The (Northwest Indiana) Times (http://bit.ly/2fjuaeJ ) reported.

According to data from the Indiana State Department of Health preliminary tests from 2005 to 2015 showed more than 20 percent of children tested in the census tract, which includes West Calumet Housing Complex, had elevated blood lead levels.

Mark Johnson, regional director for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, told City Council that as of Thursday tests shows that 16 children younger than 7 had elevated blood levels.

The complex is part of the first of three cleanup zones in an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site that encompasses the entire neighborhood.

Because children 6 years and younger readily absorb heavy metal due to their growing bodies, they are particularly at risk of lead poisoning. Pregnant women should also take precautions.

"Our overall objective is to get 100 percent of children in East Chicago tested," said North Township Trustee Frank J. Mrvan. "It's free and the test can begin the medical process of reversing lead exposure."

Mrvans said families and children who live in the Superfund site are being prioritized by the state and local health departments. However he said any resident can get tested and former residents of the Superfund site should consider speaking with a physician.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com