Imaging Risk: Lead Poisoning and Information Distribution in Southern California

As an anthropologist studying expertise and knowledge production, I am committed to understanding how scientists (and other experts) disseminate knowledge about risk and environmental harm across a public, and how a public, in turn, consciously begins to consider and mobilize against environmental risk and harm. In this project on lead poisoning in Southern California, I explore how lead exposure risk is made visible to the public either through the intervention of public health officials and environmental health scientists or through personal experiences of toxicity and toxic exposure. Lead poisoning is often unknown to a person until they present with symptoms. As a result, their body becomes a vector for knowledge of the spaces in which they live, but how can awareness be raised beforehand? A key question that propels my research project is how do communities and the scientists involved in those communities come to view lead poisoning as a risk in the region? Alternatively, what are the causes that lead some communities to ignore lead exposure risks? A main component of this research involves maps and infographics, particularly interactive maps that show potentials for lead poisoning and infographics made by health officials and scientists containing information on lead risk and poisoning. These visuals make visible the potential for lead poisoning in Southern California. It is crucial to understand who is producing them, to whom they are produced for, how decisions are made on what information to include, and how the public responds to such information. Coming to a better understanding of visuals meant to inform the public and how those visuals are perceived by the public can help us better create informational distribution channels and networks.