A Tale of Two Swaths: Urban Childhood Blood-Lead Levels across Syracuse, New York

Abstract

A growing body of research documents various prominent and important geographic dimensions to pediatric lead poisoning. This paper uses the Onondaga County Health Department database for 1992–1995 and the 1990 Census of Population and Housing data to analyze the spatial distribution of blood-lead levels in Syracuse, New York. Analyses are conducted at the individual, census block, census block group, and census tract resolutions. Regardless of geographic resolution, pediatric blood-lead levels contain positive spatial autocorrelation, with two conspicuous swaths being visible on maps. In apparent support of some previous research, average housing value is found to be a principal predictor of blood-lead levels; so is population density. The primary conclusion of the paper is that intervention strategies should focus on the old and poor neighborhoods of the city and ones housing minority groups, and should address issues of housing quality and maintenance practices, as well as soil contamination.

Keywords::

• Spatial autocorrelation
• Syracuse
• pediatric blood-lead level
• geographic resolution
• lead poisoning