Pennsylvania and New Jersey heath officials test hundreds of thousands of children each year for lead poisoning. An NBC 10 Investigation reveals thousands of them continue to have elevated lead levels according to Center for Disease Control standards.
In New Jersey 6024 children under 18 have elevated levels of lead in their blood according to state data.
In Pennsylvania 13,171 children under seven have elevated lead levels, according to the state.
Health officials say the main source is chipping lead paint and dust in old homes.
More than half of Pennsylvania’s homes are 40 years or older according to census information. In New Jersey every county has at least 9,000 homes built before 1950 according to the state.
Lead paint hasn’t been used since 1978.
The Philadelphia Water Department’s most recent testing in 2014 showed 7 of 134 homes water supplies contained elevated levels of lead. Each instance was traced to the homes’ lead water pipes.
