Recognizing there is no safe exposure of lead to a developing brain, the state Department of Health announced it will intervene sooner when a child’s blood tests show elevated levels of the dangerous compound.
State law requires doctors to screen children for lead and refer those with elevated levels for a home remediation and nursing supervision. But instead of intervening when a test reveals a blood lead reference value 5 micrograms per deciliter, the health department proposed a rule change Monday &config=025154JABiMmFjYzAxMy1hNjIyLTQ0YTctOTY0NS1iOGNlMTRiYzBkNGQKAFBvZENhdGFsb2flnvGwky16hNN9rcMfcun6&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fadministrative-codes%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A6BWC-XH93-S7KT-N0MB-00008-00&ecomp=6gf5kkk&prid=b7343601-106d-4ae2-a3fb-791be2059f24)that would reduce the level to 3.5 micrograms.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the change in 2021.
Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma, and even death, according to the CDC. There is no cure for lead poisoning.
“No level of lead is acceptable, so timely screening is essential to connecting children with care and families with abatement and remediation tools,” state Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston, a physician, said in a recent press release announcing the rule change “By raising awareness and with more testing, we can intervene earlier and children can get help faster to avoid the long-lasting impacts of lead poisoning.”
New Jersey requires that every child’s lead levels to be tested at 12 months old and 24 months old, or at least once before they turn six if the first two dates are missed. But the law is difficult to enforce.
Testing rates are improving, with 72% of 3-year-olds getting screened at least once in 2021 and 78% of 3-year-olds screened in 2022, Baston said in a recent press release.
The five largest New Jersey municipalities with the highest percentage of children younger than 6 with elevated lead levels in 2022 were: Trenton; Irvington; East Orange; Plainfield and Paterson. These were the top five cities for lead-exposed children in 2021, as well.
City-dwelling children are typically the most affected by lead exposure because they usually reside in older housing that was constructed before lead paint was banned in New Jersey in 1971 and nationwide in 1978. There are an estimated 250,000 homes in New Jersey and 29 million nationwide that are contaminated by lead paint. People ingest lead as paint ages and flakes off into dust.
“By lowering the actionable blood lead reference level from five micrograms per deciliter to 3.5 and requiring public health officials to distribute written guidance to the parents and guardians of affected children when they have a comparatively lower level of lead exposure, parents and guardians would be able to take action sooner to prevent more significant exposure to lead hazards for at risk children,” according to the proposed in theNew Jersey Register, a bi-weekly publications of state rules.&config=025154JABiMmFjYzAxMy1hNjIyLTQ0YTctOTY0NS1iOGNlMTRiYzBkNGQKAFBvZENhdGFsb2flnvGwky16hNN9rcMfcun6&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fadministrative-codes%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A6BWC-XH93-S7KT-N0MB-00008-00&ecomp=6gf5kkk&prid=b7343601-106d-4ae2-a3fb-791be2059f24)
Gov. Phil Murphy signed several laws in 2021 aimed at reducing the threat of lead, including one that requires any rental property built before 1978 to be inspected for lead. If lead is found, tenants are eligible to be moved into lead-safe housing with financial help from the state Department of Community Affairs.
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Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio.
