Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning is commonly harmful for very young children. Lead-based paint exposure is the primary source of lead poisoning in children. The health risks posed by lead-based paints are very serious, particularly in cities and urban areas with old housing units. The tiniest amount of lead-based paint is potentially hazardous for a child  if it begins to peel, chip, or otherwise generate dust; and since no amount of lead is safe in the body, even brief exposure can can be disastrously harmful.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the State and City of New York consider a child to have lead poisoning if 10 mg/dl of lead is detected in the bloodstream. In the New York City metropolitan area, there are thousands of children that have been poisoned by lead. The New York City Department of Health currently estimates that at least 30,000 children have blood lead levels of 10 mg/dl; many of them may have even higher levels of lead in their bloodstreams.

More Information

Childhood lead poisoning is a major, yet preventable, environmental health hazard in the United States. Nationwide, about a million children younger than 6 years old have blood lead levels of at least 10 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL); that is a level which is high enough to adversely affect their intellectual and behavioral development. Minority and poor children are disproportionately affected.

How do children get lead poisoning?

The most common cause of lead poisoning is from the lead paints that were used in the 1960′s and earlier. Lead is also in dust, soil, water, food, and in the air. Children can get lead poisoning by:

  • putting hands or other objects, such as toys, with lead dust on them into their mouths
  • eating the lead paint chips that peel off walls
  • chewing on window sills and door frames coated with lead-based paints
  • drinking water from lead based pipes, or from pipes sealed with a lead based solder

What are the symptoms of lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning can  affect every system of the body, and it can occurs with no distinctive symptoms. Lead is specially harmful to the developing brain and nervous system of fetuses and very young children. Lead can damage a child’s central nervous system, kidneys, and reproductive system.  At higher levels, lead poisoning can cause coma, convulsions, and death. Low levels of lead are harmful enough to cause decreased intelligence, impaired neuro-behavioral development, and diminished stature and growth. It has also been known to affect hearing acuity.

Where is testing for blood-lead levels available?
How much does lead poisoning blood testing cost?

Your private physician or your local department of health can test for blood-lead levels. For more information about lead poisoning blood testing in New York City and New York State contact the following organizations:

  • New York City Health Department: www.nyc.gov – (212) 788-5261
  • New York State Department of Health: www.nyhealth.gov – (518) 474-2011

Many private insurance policies cover the cost of testing for blood-lead levels. Children covered by Medicaid are eligible for free screening. Blood-lead testing generally costs $10 — $75. Charges for an office visit may apply.

How to tell if your child has lead poisoning?

The only way to be sure is with a quick and easy blood test. Children over the age of 6 months should be tested, and after testing should be performed if recommended by your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor, the Department of Health can help you if you call 212-BAN-LEAD.

Can lead poisoning be cured?

The main treatment is to stop the exposure to lead. By removing the lead from a person’s environment you may ensure a decrease in their blood-lead levels. The longer a person is exposed to lead, the greater the likelihood that damage to the person’s health will result. There are some cases where medication can be used to lower blood-lead levels.

Should pregnant women be concerned about lead poisoning?

Lead can be passed from the pregnant woman to the fetus, so women should take steps to ensure that they do not have excessive lead exposure during pregnancy. Pregnant women should not engage in any activity that disturbs lead-based paint, live in or be present in a house or apartment where work is under way that disturbs lead-based paint, return to a house or apartment where lead-based paint has been disturbed until at least 24 hours after the work has been completed.

What you can do to protect your family?

  • At least once per year, have your children who are less than 6 years of age tested for blood lead levels.
  • If your home was built before 1960, and you have peeling paint, call Department of Housing Preservation and Development at 212-960-4800.
  • Have your children wash their hands before they eat, after they play outdoors, and before they go to sleep.
  • Wash your hands before preparing food.
  • Wet mop floors, and wipe furniture, window sills and other dusty surfaces.
  • Don’t let children play under bridges, near highways and heavily traveled roads.
  • Serve meals that are high in iron and calcium to help prevent lead from being absorbed into your child’s bodies.
  • Run cold water for at least a minute before using. Never use hot water from the faucet to make baby formula or for cooking. Higher water temperatures increase the leeching of metals from pipes.
  • For testing water, call the Department of Environmental Protection 718-699-9811.
  • Purchase bottled water for home and office consumption.

I live in an apartment. Is it my landlord’s responsibility to remove lead-based paint from my apartment?

If you have a child under six who has a blood level of 20ug/dl or more, your landlord may be required to take certain actions. Laws and regulations vary according to the area and jurisdiction in which you live.

I live in a public housing project. Does the housing authority have to do anything about lead-based paint?

If you live in a development that was built before 1978, the housing authority should have given you a brochure telling you that the property may contain lead-based paint. This brochure describes hazards posed by lead-based paint, including symptoms and treatment, and the advisability and availability of blood-lead level screening for your children under the age of seven.

When a child has an elevated blood-lead level of 25 ug/dl or more, the housing authority must test your apartment within five days after being notified by your doctor of your child’s blood-lead level. If lead-based paint is found by testing from the housing authority then they must treat those surfaces within two weeks (14 days). If the housing authority cannot treat the hazardous surfaces, then they must either move your family into a previously treated unit or into one that was built after 1978.