"Students Find High Lead Levels in Classroom"

Excel High School students: (front left) Marla Monterroso and (front right) Robert Brigham; (middle row, from left) Joyce Ominiona, Kalifa Mohamed, Jamelah Isaac and Juan Hernandez; (back row, from left) Rocky Edwards, Kiyana Jones, Terranisha Nathaniel, De'Anna Young, Askari Smith and Whitney Aiken. Photo by Kat Wade, special to the Chronicle.

Students find high lead levels in classroom

Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

At first, the East Oakland class project on local air quality was a lot like other schoolwork - science and math and writing up stuff.

Then it got personal.

The classroom samples taken by the 20 Excel High School students came back from the lab showing high levels of lead - a dangerous metal known to cause a wide range of neurological and developmental problems, with small children most at risk.

In announcing the results Monday at the school, the students and their advisers said one of the tests showed levels at least five times above the federal Environmental Protection Agency standards for an indoor windowsill.

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