A few months ago our education editor Jamaal Abdul-Alim pointed out that it’s been nearly five years since the country first learned about the lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan. That inspired several of us to sleuth out new research exploring the health effects of lead. But the consequences aren’t easy to identify because past exposure to this toxic metal is difficult to quantify.

Jill Johnston, an environmental scientist and epidemiologist at the University of Southern California, used out a clever technique to solve this problem. She studied a community living in the shadow of a lead-acid battery smelter in southeast Los Angeles County and discovered that the key to gauging past lead exposure was buried in treasured biological samples that families had saved – baby teeth.

Also today we have stories on a controversial plan to convert oil rigs to reefs, the extent of rotting internet data and sizing up the Islamic State’s legacy of looting.

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A worker recycling lead in a lead acid battery recovery facility. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Children near lead smelters exposed to lead in the womb

Jill Johnston, University of Southern California

Lead contamination is not just a problem for Flint, Michigan. It is an issue in many regions. One epidemiologist figured out how to measure past lead exposure using treasured biological samples.

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  • How traumatic injury has become a health care crisis

    Lynn Marie Frydrych, University of Michigan; Matthew J. Delano, University of Michigan

    Trauma results in 41 million emergency department visits a year and hundreds of thousands of deaths. May is National Trauma Awareness month, and two experts explain why it's time to pay attention.

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