Lead Exposure In The Caldwells: Town Places In Top 10 For Most Risks

THE CALDWELLS, NJ — Homes built before 1978 in New Jersey may still have some lead-based paint, which was widely used because it was less susceptible to moisture. In 1978, its use was banned in homes because the substance was found to be toxic.

After an infant in Wisconsin died of lead exposure in 1991, officials called for annual testing. But lead can be harmful to adults, too. Pregnant people and those under 6 carry a higher risk.

State law requires that children get tested for lead at 12 and 24 months old, and all children younger than 6 must be tested. Children without health insurance can get free testing at their local health department.

Even if the interiors of homes have been repainted, kids can encounter lead in back yards, stairwells, porches, and other areas.

New Data Released Last Week

In New Jersey, state officials released data this past week showing the rate of potential lead exposure in homes for each city and town. In nine New Jersey municipalities, at least 90 percent of the homes carry some risk of lead exposure.

Before the 1950s, lead-based paint became standard for achieving certain pigments, improving drying times and resisting moisture. Exposure in older homes occurs when the paint starts deteriorating, cracking or peeling away from the walls. Some kids have even been known to ingest it.

New Jersey's Potential Lead Exposure Mapping (PLEM) Tool shows which towns are more likely to have homes with lead paint. The map includes the rate of one- and two-bedroom housing units built before 1978 in each municipality.

Homes built before the federal ban don't necessarily have lead paint.

However, homes constructed before 1978 carry a higher probability of potential exposure, so risk assessment is vital.

Lead exposure disproportionately impacts Black children, and advocates say environmental racism plays a factor by pushing Black communities into poorer areas with greater health hazards.

Willingboro Township, Burlington County, has New Jersey's highest rate of homes with probable lead exposure and a median household income of $83,323. Nearly 70 percent of the township's residents are Black, according to U.S. Census data. The second-place town, North Plainfield in Somerset County, has a median income of $76,355. Nearly 50 percent ofits residents are Hispanic or Latino, while 22.3 percent are Black.

But whiter, more affluent towns also showed some of the highest rates of probable lead exposure. The top five rounds out with Glen Ridge (median income of $271,221), Cranford ($153,949) and ($151,878). The median household income in New Jersey is $89,703, census data shows.

In terms of lead-exposure probability, eight of the top 25 municipalities are in Bergen County, while six, including five in the top 10, are in Essex County.

These New Jersey cities and towns have the highest rates of homes at risk of lead exposure, according to state data.

Patch lists each municipality, county and the percentage of homes built before 1978. See the two lists below.

1. Willingboro Township, Burlington: 94.5 percent
2. North Plainfield Borough, Somerset, 93.9 percent
3. Glen Ridge Borough, Essex: 92.8 percent
4. Cranford Township, Union: 91.5 percent
5. Verona Township, Essex: 91.5 percent
6. Maplewood Township, Essex: 91.3 percent
7. Stratford Borough, Camden: 90.8 percent
8. Bloomfield Township, Essex: 90.6 percent
9. Bogota Borough, Bergen: 90.5 percent
10. West Caldwell Township, Essex: 89.6 percent
11. Dumont Borough, Bergen: 89.5 percent
12. Ridgewood Village, Bergen: 88.5 percent
13. Hillside Township, Union: 88.2 percent
14. Montclair Township, Essex: 88.2 percent
15. Maywood Borough, Bergen, 88 percent

These New Jersey municipalities have the lowest rates of homes with a significant probability of lead exposure, according to state data:

1. Vernon Township, Sussex: 0 percent
2. Walpack Township, Sussex: 0 percent
3. Winfield Township, Union: 0 percent
4. Harrison Town, Hudson: 0 percent
5. Pine Valley Borough, Camden: 0 percent
6. Tavistock Borough, Camden: 0 percent
7. Audobon Park Borough, Camden: 0 percent
8. Sayreville Borough, Middlesex: 0.01 percent
9. Andover Borough, Sussex: 0.3 percent
10. Shrewsbury Township, Monmouth: 0.8 percent
11. Woodland Township, Burlington: 1.1 percent
12. Fieldsboro Borough, Burlington: 2.2 percent
13. Middlesex Borough, Middlesex: 3.8 percent
14. Woolwich Township, Gloucester: 5.3 percent
15. Hamburg Borough, Sussex: 5.5 percent

The map also features best practices for minimizing lead exposure. Getting the potential source tested by a professional is the best way to determined whether you've been exposed, according to state officials.

Find out more here.

View the full map and data here.

Patch editor Josh Bakan contributed to this report.