Lead Exposure

When lead paint begins to peel, flake or become lodged in baseboards and windowsills, children can ingest it. While engaging in normal hand-to-mouth activity, which is seen in the crawling and toddler stages of development, children may touch surfaces containing lead paint or lead paint dust, and then put their fingers in their mouths.

Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning because they retain larger amounts of lead than adults. Children, from nine to eighteen months old, absorb lead at a rate of five to ten times higher than adults. Additionally, because their bodies are smaller, a smaller amount of lead, ingested or inhaled, can result in a higher concentration of blood contamination.

In New York City, children under seven account for most of the new cases of lead poisoning. The highest lead levels are generally found in children between nine and eighteen months of age. While children, from three to six, are the second most affected group.

Recent studies and all the available evidence indicate that, in urban areas, minority children run the greatest risk of lead exposure and becoming lead poisoned as a result of lead-based paint in their apartments. In New York City, 81% of all lead poisoned children are minorities.

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