2023 Environmental Health Risks

When you look up at wires between utility poles you might not see a danger. But if those lines are old and contain lead, they might pose a hazard.

An investigation by the Wall Street Journal reported that AT&T, Verizon and other telecom companies have left more than 2,000 toxic lead cables – on poles, under waterways and in the soil – around the country. The Journal reported that testing revealed dozens of places registering lead levels that exceed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety guidelines. 

The report got the attention of three environmental groups – the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Clean Water Action and Below the Blue, which are now trying to get the EPA’s attention. Officials of the three groups signed a letter to the agency asking it to investigate.

“EPA must prioritize the immediate removal of lead-sheathed cables accessible to children or strung overhead between telephone poles,” said Tom Neltner, senior director for safer chemicals at EDF. “These cables pose the greatest exposure risk to lead, and they can be easily fixed. For the underwater cables, EPA should assess the risk, prioritizing those in sources of water protected for drinking.”

Some cables date to the 1880s

The cables are very old, dating as far back as the 1880s and to as recently as the 1960s. They consist of lead pipes with copper wires inside and asphalt coating on the outside. 

Many were abandoned in place when they failed or became unnecessary, but when deserted, the open ends of those bundles were exposed—leaving the lead open to soil and water, researchers say. Without EPA intervention, the groups said they expect that the risk posed by the cables will increase as they deteriorate further and release lead into the environment.

The Journal investigation conducted tests of soil and water samples that varied from no detectable lead to the highest lead level of 38,000 parts per billion from a single sample of water from Lake Tahoe. 

The risks are unclear

What is the risk to Americans? The groups say the risk is unclear. That’s why they are calling on the EPA to determine the potential risk to public health that the cables may pose.

"We have personally visited over 300 sites with lead-sheathed cables in communities across America,” said Seth Jones, co-founder of Below the Blue and president of Marine Taxonomic Services, Ltd. (MTS). “Research suggests that there are potentially thousands of other abandoned cables across the country. Given the number of cables identified across nine states, this is not a situation that can be addressed locally.”

Lead is not healthy for anyone but is particularly harmful to children, with exposure to the metal potentially resulting in permanent neurological damage. In recent days the EPA made clear that “there is no safe level of lead” and “even low levels are detrimental to children’s health.”

Working remotely eliminates the daily commute to the office, and for those whose route took them through heavy traffic, there might be a health benefit from working at home. Canadian researchers have published a study showing that common levels of traffic pollution can impair human brain function in only a matter of hours.

The peer-reviewed findings, published in the journal Environmental Health, found that the damage can occur in as little as two hours when drivers are exposed to heavy diesel fumes in heavy stop-and-go traffic.

The researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Victoria say their study is the first to show altered brain network connectivity induced by air pollution.

“For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said senior study author Dr. Chris Carlsten, professor and head of respiratory medicine and the Canada Research Chair in occupational and environmental lung disease at UBC. “This study, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and cognition.”

Study details

The researchers briefly exposed 25 healthy adults to diesel exhaust and filtered air at different times in a laboratory setting. Brain activity was measured before and after each exposure using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Next, the scientists measured changes in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a set of inter-connected brain regions that play an important role in memory and internal thought. The results showed that participants had reduced functional connectivity in several regions of the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust, compared to filtered air.

The findings may take on added significance as more employers require employees to return to the office, a move that could contribute to heavier traffic during morning and afternoon commuting times. The researchers say there are steps commuters can take to reduce their risk.

“People may want to think twice the next time they’re stuck in traffic with the windows rolled down,” Carlsten said. “It’s important to ensure that your car’s air filter is in good working order, and if you’re walking or biking down a busy street, consider diverting to a less busy route.”