Lead in the Air

Lead in the Air: How a Downtown Airport May Be Exposing St. Petersburg Families
By Rhys Cote 

April 19, 2026

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— On any given afternoon, small planes lift off in steady intervals from Albert Whitted Airport, their engines humming over the waterfront and nearby neighborhoods. Beneath those flight paths, families walk dogs, children play in parks, and residents go about daily life—largely unaware that the aircraft overhead may be releasing a toxic substance long banned from cars: lead.

Despite decades of regulation eliminating leaded gasoline from automobiles, many piston-engine aircraft still rely on leaded aviation fuel. As a result, communities living near small airports—like those in downtown St. Petersburg—may be exposed to low levels of airborne lead, a neurotoxin especially harmful to children. The issue raises pressing questions about public health, environmental safety, and whether local and federal authorities are doing enough to protect residents.

The concern is not just theoretical. Public health experts warn that even minimal exposure to lead can have lasting consequences, particularly for developing brains. Yet awareness of aviation-related lead emissions remains low, and efforts to transition to safer fuel alternatives have moved slowly.

“This is not a trivial risk,” said Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, a pediatrician and public health expert who studies environmental toxins.

“There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Even very small amounts can reduce IQ, impair attention, and increase the risk of behavioral problems.”

Landrigan emphasized that while lead has been removed from paint and gasoline, aviation fuel remains one of the last major sources of lead emissions in the United States.

“We’ve made enormous progress in reducing lead exposure overall,” he said.

“But this is a glaring exception, and it disproportionately affects communities living near airports.”

Just blocks from the airport, many residents say they were unaware of the issue.

“I had no idea planes were still using leaded fuel,” said Sarah Martinez, a mother of two who lives less than a mile from the runway.

“My kids play outside all the time, and we’re right under the flight path. It’s scary to think there could be something harmful in the air and we wouldn’t even know.”

Martinez said she has noticed the frequency of flights but never considered potential health effects.

“You hear the planes constantly, but you don’t think about what’s coming out of them,” she said.

“If this is dangerous, people deserve to be informed.”

Across the country, recent investigations have found that children living near small airports can have higher levels of lead in their blood compared to those living farther away. While similar localized data for St. Petersburg is limited, environmental health officials acknowledge the concern.

“We are aware of the broader research linking aviation emissions to lead exposure,” said a representative from the Pinellas County Health Department.

“At this time, routine air monitoring in this specific area is limited, but we continue to follow guidance from federal agencies and evaluate emerging data.”

The official added that while there have not been widespread complaints locally, the lack of monitoring does not necessarily mean there is no risk.

“This is an area where more research and data collection would be beneficial.”

For airport officials, the issue is more complex than it may appear. Many small aircraft engines are designed specifically to run on leaded fuel, and alternatives are not yet universally available.

“Safety is always the top priority in aviation,” said Bill DeGroot, airport manager at Albert Whitted Airport.

“The aircraft that operate here are certified to use specific fuels, and any transition to a new fuel has to meet strict federal safety standards.”

DeGroot said that while concerns about emissions are valid, the airport itself has limited control over the type of fuel used by individual aircraft.

“We follow all current regulations and guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration,” he said.

“There are ongoing efforts at the national level to develop and approve unleaded alternatives, and we’re watching those developments closely.”

Still, DeGroot acknowledged the importance of balancing aviation activity with community concerns.

“We are part of this community,” he said.

“As new technologies become available, we support efforts that maintain safety while also reducing environmental impact.”

That tension—between technological limitations and public health concerns—lies at the heart of the issue. Experts like Landrigan argue that the solution requires both regulatory pressure and industry innovation.

“We need a coordinated effort to accelerate the phase-out of leaded aviation fuel,” he said.

“That includes investment in alternative fuels, updated regulations, and increased monitoring of affected communities.”

For residents like Martinez, the path forward starts with awareness.

“I think people would be shocked if they knew about this,” she said.

“At the very least, we should be testing the air and making sure our kids are safe.”

What makes the issue especially difficult to detect is that lead is invisible. It has no smell, no color, and often no immediate symptoms. But once inhaled, lead particles can enter the bloodstream through the lungs and accumulate in the body over time.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lead is a heavy metal that can damage the nervous system, kidneys, and cardiovascular health. In children, even low-level exposure has been linked to developmental delays and reduced academic performance. The agency lowered its National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead in 2008 from 1.5 micrograms per cubic meter to 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter, reflecting growing evidence that lower exposures still carry serious risks.

Florida currently remains in compliance with that federal standard. However, compliance does not necessarily eliminate concern, especially in areas where monitoring is limited. State environmental data identifies industrial sites as the largest lead sources in Florida, but piston-engine aircraft are also listed as contributors due to the use of leaded aviation gasoline.

A 2023 investigative report published by the Pulitzer Center found that more than 170,000 children nationwide attend school within close proximity of airports serving piston-engine aircraft. The report warned that aviation fuel remains one of the final major transportation-related sources of airborne lead in the United States.

That national context matters in St. Petersburg, where dense neighborhoods, waterfront parks, and schools lie near downtown airspace. During observation at Albert Whitted Airport, planes departed every few minutes during peak afternoon hours. Along Bayshore Drive, families pushed strollers as aircraft climbed overhead. Children played in nearby green spaces while the sound of engines echoed across the waterfront. The contrast was striking: ordinary recreation unfolding beneath a little-known environmental concern.

“People see planes as part of the city’s identity,” said environmental policy researcher Dr. Maria Chen, who studies urban transportation emissions.

“But that familiarity can obscure the risks. Communities become accustomed to the presence of aircraft without realizing what may be entering the air around them.”

Chen said policy conversations often focus on economic benefits rather than environmental costs.

“Airports are engines of commerce, but that doesn’t exempt them from accountability,” she said.

“Public health needs to be central in any discussion about aviation growth.”

That discussion is especially timely in St. Petersburg, where city leaders are actively planning for the future of aviation. A recently published Advanced Air Mobility Task Force report outlines how electric aircraft—known as eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles—could soon operate in the city. The report positions Albert Whitted Airport as a central hub for integrating this next generation of transportation.

The task force, chaired by Ed Montanari, first convened in April 2025 and included aviation officials, city representatives, and innovation leaders. Among them was Walt Driggers, executive director of Albert Whitted Airport. Their recommendations describe a phased plan for infrastructure upgrades, electric charging systems, and long-term vertiport development.

For advocates concerned about lead emissions, the report offers both promise and contradiction. On one hand, electric aircraft could reduce dependence on leaded fuel in the future. On the other, expanding aviation activity without addressing current emissions may intensify concerns in the short term.

“We can’t celebrate innovation while ignoring existing harm,” said pediatric environmental health specialist Dr. Rebecca Hall.

“Electric aviation is exciting, but it should not distract from the urgent need to eliminate leaded fuel in the aircraft already operating today.”

Hall called for stronger community engagement as aviation technologies evolve.

“If new forms of air mobility are being introduced into neighborhoods, residents deserve a voice in how those decisions affect their health and environment.”

For some families, the debate feels abstract until it becomes personal.

“I’ve lived here for eight years, and I’ve always loved being close to the water and downtown,” said local resident Angela Brooks, who lives with her husband and two children near the airport corridor.

“But now I’m asking different questions. What are my kids breathing every day? And why hasn’t anyone talked about this before?”

Brooks said she supports aviation’s place in the city but wants transparency.

“If there’s even a possibility of long-term harm, then monitoring should be mandatory—not optional.”

The potential solution, experts say, lies in both fuel innovation and local accountability. Nationally, the Federal Aviation Administration has supported programs aimed at certifying unleaded alternatives. Industry groups have begun testing replacement fuels, but full adoption remains years away.

At the local level, residents and researchers argue for immediate steps: expanded air-quality monitoring near airports, community education campaigns, and public reporting on emissions.

 “These are achievable measures,” Chen said.

“They don’t require shutting down airports. They require acknowledging the issue and treating public health as part of transportation planning.”

Back near the airport, planes continue to take off against the backdrop of Tampa Bay, their paths cutting across neighborhoods where life goes on uninterrupted. The risk, if it exists, is invisible—odorless, colorless, and easy to ignore.

But as St. Petersburg prepares for the next era of aviation, the city faces a choice: whether to confront the environmental costs of its past while building toward its future. For families living under those flight paths, that decision could shape not only transportation policy—but public health for generations.