Before bulldozers move in, the city plans to wet the soil to minimize dust. That precaution is meant to contain asbestos, but Health Department officials said it would also keep lead dust to a minimum. In a news release, the department seemed to minimize the danger of Rock Street's lead. Just as in many neighborhoods with older homes, there may be a concern involving young children in particular, if the soil is exposed and there is continuous or regular contact. Ingestion of lead causes learning disabilities and other maladies.
Severe poisoning can cause mental retardation or death.
Children under the age of 6 are particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing. Research from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency shows lead-laced soil that is accessible to children is a hazard if the concentration of lead in the soil exceeds 400 parts per million. Laboratory tests show that seven of the 10 yards in the 1400 block of Rock Street have concentrations above 400. The EPA discovered the block's contamination a decade ago. But few learned of the agency's findings, or its suspicion that the problem existed throughout the historic district.