For decades, airplanes at Reid-Hillview Airport in Silicon Valley have used fuel containing lead, a toxic substance many assumed was long banned. This isn't unique to Reid-Hillview; almost all small planes in the US still use leaded aviation fuel. In January, Santa Clara County, which owns Reid-Hillview, imposed the first US ban on refueling with this fuel, prompting a conflict with the FAA and forcing plane owners to refuel elsewhere. This ban was reaffirmed, and other airports are considering similar measures.

Research showing higher lead levels in children near Reid-Hillview led Quartz to investigate lead emissions at major civil aviation airports and their impact on nearby neighborhoods. Their analysis of over 350 million aircraft locations shows extensive exposure to lead-fuel emissions for homes, parks, schools, and playgrounds across the US. The EPA estimates 16 million people, including 3 million children, live within a kilometer of these airports.

Reid-Hillview is a prime example of how leaded fuel continues to contaminate communities. Around 24,000 people live within a kilometer of its runways, including residents near parks and schools. One school, Donald J. Meyer Elementary, shares a fence line with the airport, which sees over 200,000 takeoffs and landings annually. Lead emissions from these activities have been linked to elevated blood lead levels in nearby children, comparable to those during the Flint, Michigan water crisis.

Unlike Flint, where lead exposure spanned 18 months, children near airports face ongoing exposure during critical developmental years. Though levels around Reid-Hillview are below the CDC's threshold for "elevated" lead levels, any amount of lead can cause long-term harm, affecting IQ, behavior, and overall health.

Professor Sammy Zahran of Colorado State University, who studied Reid-Hillview, emphasizes the significant cognitive damage even low lead levels can cause. Maps created by Quartz for the top lead-emitting US airports highlight the potential lead exposure for nearby communities, influenced by air traffic volume, proximity, and prevailing winds.

Despite the availability of solutions, leaded aviation fuel persists due to regulatory failures. An ongoing EPA process may finally lead to its regulation and the development of unleaded alternatives for the 170,000 piston-engine aircraft in the US. For more on this issue, read Quartz's investigation into why a universal unleaded aviation fuel has yet to be adopted.

Read the full report on Quartz website:

https://qz.com/2158594/do-you-live-near-enough-to-a-small-airport-to-have-lead-exposure