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DETROIT (AP) — Health officials say the number of Detroit children under age 6 with elevated lead levels has dropped over the last six years.
The Detroit News reports (http://detne.ws/1WJHRVf ), however, that officials say there's more work to be done. A new report compiled by Detroit's Health Department says Detroit children remain four times more likely to have elevated blood lead levels than children in the rest of Michigan.
The report says elevated levels went from 19 percent of children under 6 in 2009 to 9 percent in 2015. Officials credit efforts including removal of blighted homes, lead abatement and education outreach. Lead-based paint in many older homes often is a source.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the city's executive director of public health, notes: "The big challenge of lead in Detroit is old housing."
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Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
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