ImportanceThere is no level of lead in drinking water considered to be safe, yet lead service lines are still commonly used in water systems across the US.ObjectiveTo identify the extent of lead-contaminated drinking water in Chicago, Illinois, and model its impact on children younger than 6 years.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsFor this cross-sectional study, a retrospective assessment was performed of lead exposure based on household tests collected from January 2016 to September 2023. Tests were obtained from households in Chicago that registered for a free self-administered testing service for lead exposure. Machine learning and microsimulation were used to estimate citywide childhood lead exposure.ExposureLead-contaminated drinking water, measured in parts per billion.Main Outcomes and MeasuresNumber of children younger than 6 years exposed to lead-contaminated water.ResultsA total of 38 385 household lead tests were collected. An estimated 68% (95% uncertainty interval, 66%-69%) of children younger than 6 years were exposed to lead-contaminated water, corresponding to 129 000 children (95% uncertainty interval, 128 000-131 000 children). Ten-percentage-point increases in block-level Black and Hispanic populations were associated with 3% (95% CI, 2%-3%) and 6% (95% CI, 5%-7%) decreases in odds of being tested for lead and 4% (95% CI, 3%-6%) and 11% (95% CI, 10%-13%) increases in having lead-contaminated drinking water, respectively.Conclusions and RelevanceThese findings indicate that childhood lead exposure is widespread in Chicago, and racial inequities are present in both testing rates and exposure levels. Machine learning may assist in preliminary screening for lead exposure, and efforts to remediate the effects of environmental racism should involve improving outreach for and access to lead testing services.

中文翻译：

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芝加哥儿童饮用水中的铅暴露估计值

重要性饮用水中的铅含量没有被认为是安全的，但铅服务线在美国各地的供水系统中仍然普遍使用。目标确定伊利诺伊州芝加哥市饮用水铅污染的程度，并模拟其对儿童的影响6 岁以下。设计、设置和参与者对于这项横断面研究，根据 2016 年 1 月至 2023 年 9 月收集的家庭测试对铅暴露进行了回顾性评估。测试是从芝加哥登记为自由自我的家庭获得的。 - 铅暴露管理测试服务。使用机器学习和微观模拟来估计全市儿童铅暴露情况。暴露受铅污染的饮用水，以十亿分之几为单位。主要结果和措施暴露于铅污染水的 6 岁以下儿童数量。结果总共 38 385 个家庭进行铅测试被收集。据估计，6 岁以下儿童中有 68%（95% 不确定区间，66%-69%）接触过铅污染水，相当于 129 000 名儿童（95% 不确定区间，128 000-131 000 名儿童）。街区级别的黑人和西班牙裔人口增加 10 个百分点，接受检测的几率分别下降 3%（95% CI，2%-3%）和 6%（95% CI，5%-7%）铅含量增加，饮用受铅污染的饮用水分别增加 4%（95% CI，3%-6%）和 11%（95% CI，10%-13%）。结论和相关性这些研究结果表明，儿童铅暴露这种情况在芝加哥很普遍，检测率和暴露水平都存在种族不平等。机器学习可能有助于初步筛查铅暴露，而纠正环境种族主义影响的努力应包括改善铅检测服务的推广和获取。