Omaha’s Medical Detectives: How Drs. Matilda McIntire and Carol Angle Uncovered a Hidden Epidemic of Lead Poisoning
Written by: Carrie Meyer
Tuesday, March 17th from noon to 1pm.
This presentation recounts the pioneering work of Drs. Matilda McIntire and Carol Angle, whose decades-long investigation into lead toxicity exposed one of the nation’s most significant environmental health crises.
Learn how McIntire and Angle connected unexplained pediatric symptoms to emissions from Omaha’s lead smelters, refineries, and battery reclamation plants. Their fieldwork revealed dangerous levels of lead in Omaha’s air, soil, and homes, especially in low-income neighborhoods situated near the industrial sites. The physicians’ findings eventually resulted in the federal government designating more than 17,000 acres of Omaha as a Superfund site. McIntire and Angle’s investigative methods and public-health advocacy were crucial in remediating the lead toxicity in Omaha and influencing understanding of lead poisoning.
Join Erin Torell, associate professor and rare book librarian at McGoogan Library, on March 17th from noon to 1pm for this informative presentation.
To register for this event, please click here.