More than 20 lead experts at the U.S. Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention lost their jobs and critical funding for lead pipe replacement has stalled under the Trump administration, raising alarms over childhood lead exposure nationwide.
Amudalat Ajasa reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- The CDC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch was eliminated last week, letting go of more than 20 staff, amid widespread federal layoffs.
- States including Massachusetts report that expected 2024 federal funds for lead pipe replacement were delayed or not delivered, despite allocations made under Biden’s infrastructure law.
- Experts warn that halting these efforts could reverse years of public health progress, especially for children most vulnerable to lead exposure.
Key quote:
“We’re concerned that the progress that we made in reducing childhood lead exposures will disappear and additional children will be put at risk from a condition that is entirely preventable.”
— Perri Ruckart, veteran CDC health scientist who recently lost her job
Why this matters:
Lead exposure in children is irreversible and damages the brain, nervous system, and development, sometimes without visible symptoms. While the U.S. banned lead paint in 1978 and began phasing out leaded gasoline in the 1980s, millions of old water pipes still carry drinking water through aging infrastructure. Children living in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color are disproportionately exposed, in part because lead pipe replacements have been slower in these communities. The CDC’s now-defunct lead office helped monitor these risks and support local responses. Without timely data and expert support, schools and local agencies may miss early signs of exposure. Delays in replacing lead pipes, even by a few months, increase cumulative harm. Gutting expertise and pausing funding pushes this burden back onto families who are least able to bear it.
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