In 2006, Sarah and Andrew Howard moved to Jackson, Mississippi and started a family. Recently, their son has developed obsessive-compulsive disorder tendencies. He won’t go to the bathroom because the sound of a toilet is overbearing for him, when he takes a bath the water has to be filled to a certain level, his pancakes need to be cut a certain way and served with a full bottle of syrup, and he struggles to wear pants instead of shorts. Sarah began to blame herself, wondering if she did something wrong during her pregnancy. However, Sarah and her husband began to think it could be lead in their water. As they did some research, it turns out more than 2,000 parents are suing the city and state. 150,000 people live in Jackson, so it has to be affecting more than 2,000 children. Serval parents have come forward saying their children suffer from forgetfulness, hyperactivity, learning and behavioral disorders, and sensory and skin issues, which are all symptoms of Sarah’s son. The people of Jackson already routinely boil their water for showering, cooking, and even drinking. Although they thought they were doing the right thing, boiling water with lead in it actually increases the concentration of neurotoxin and probable carcinogen, chemicals found in lead. Lead has also been an issue in Flint, Michigan. Corey Stern is a lawyer specializing in lead poisoning and he and his team got a $600 million settlement for the children and their families in Michigan. He is now on the Jackson case. Stern wants parents to know that there is no safe level of lead exposure and that it can very easily cause brain damage. Children who are exposed to lead struggle to stay in school and are very likely to be held back a grade or two. Although lawyers are still waiting for blood tests to confirm the lead exposure, the chance that the tests come back positive is very likely considering  over 2,000 people have come forward with very similar symptoms.

Sources:

-https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/25/us/jackson-mississippi-children-lead-exposure/index.html

-https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health