The study, conducted from January 2011 to December 2020, involved analyzing over 14,000 blood lead samples of children aged under five residing near the Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in California, which services piston-engine aircraft.
"The BLLs [blood lead levels] of the sampled children increase significantly with proximity to RHV. Children residing within 0.5 miles (0.8 km) of RHV present with significantly higher BLLs than children more distant of RHV," the analysis read.
Tetraethyl lead, or TEL, is a fuel additive that was banned from use in automotive gasoline under provisions of the US Clean Air Act of 1970. However, TEL remains a standard part of aviation gasoline.
The study revealed that the probability that a child’s BLL exceeded the threshold defined by the state of California of 4.5 micrograms per deciliter increased with proximity to the Reid-Hillview Airport. In addition, the results of the analysis showed that children’s blood lead levels increase with the volume of piston-engine aircraft traffic.
The authors of the study noted, citing data from the US Environmental Protection Agency, that an estimated four million people live within 500 meters (0.3 miles) of an airport that services piston-engine planes.