Originally Published: August 11, 2013
Some people have questions (as well they should) about the sources for the various numbers, statistics, facts that inform the perspective for my advocacy work—what is the scientific basis behind my concerns and statements? I provide the links below in support of my work, conclusions and opinions, and am always open to discussing specifics or interpretations of data.
Leonardo Trasande’s economic impact report, 2011: This report demonstrates that the total cost of all environmental illness is $76.6 Billion annually and that, still – today, Lead Poisoning is more than 2/3 of that cost – coming in at $50.9 billion annually:
Oregon Environmental Council’s The Price of Pollution report, 2008: This report supports the Trasande report, extrapolating the impact on a single U.S. State, with childhood lead poisoning estimated to cost the State of Oregon $878,000,000 annually:
CDC report demonstrating that at least one-in-three U.S. kids (31%) has had a BLL of 2.5 or higher in their lifetime, 2009 (This combined with U.S. Census data showing there are more than 66,000,000+ children under the age of 18 today – results in the staggering number that 22,000,000 U.S. children today have had an unsafe level of lead in their blood in their lifetime.) (23.6% + 4.5% + 1.5% + 1.4%= 31%) http://pediatrics.
If you would like to do more research on your own, I encourage you to start with the work of any of the following scientists and researchers (each of whom was interviewed for my film):
• David Rosner & Gerald Markowitz (History)
• Dr. Leonardo Trasande & Dr. Philip Landrigan (Economic Impact Studies)
• Rick Nevin (Economic Impact – with an emphasis on crime trends)
• Dr. Bruce Lanphear (Children’s Environmental Health Expert)
• Drs. Ted Lidsky & Jay Schneider (Neuropsychological Impacts)
• Dr. Howard Mielke (expert on lead in soil.)
• Ralph Spezio (the impacts of childhood lead exposure on education / special education)
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
