More than 400 urban sites that may be highly contaminated with lead have remained unknown to local authorities for decades, a preliminary study suggests. If ingested or inhaled, tainted soil particles from such sites can be harmful, especially to children.
As part of his doctoral thesis at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., William P. Eckel used old directories of factories and fire-insurance maps to locate the sites of 640 factories that smelted lead from car batteries and other sources between 1931 and 1964.
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