2 Of 3 Wayne Homes Have 'Potential' Risk Of Lead Exposure: State Data

WAYNE, NJ — Homes built before 1978 are likely to have some lead-based paint. For about two-thirds of Wayne residents, that means a higher chance of exposure to the toxicant.

State officials released data 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.

State officials released data showing the rate of potential lead exposure in homes for each city and town. In Wayne, 64 percent of houses carry some risk of exposure because of when they were built.

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. The paint industry adopted its own standards to phase out lead paint in the 1950s, but it wasn't until 1978 that the U.S. banned lead-based paints for residential use.

Homes built after 1978 are less likely to have lead-based paint.

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.

Here's the state's data on Wayne:

• total parcels: 18,548
• built after 1978: 25.3 percent
• built between 1950 and 1978: 51.1 percent
• built before 1950: 13 percent
• unknown: 10.6 percent

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. The state Department of Community Affairs has resources on lead abatement.

Lead exposure can increase the risk of wide-ranging health issues, including damaging effects to the brain and nervous systems, kidneys and blood cells. Pregnant people and children younger than 6 carry a higher risk.

About 29 million housing units around the country contain lead-based paint hazards, including 2.6 million with young children, according to the CDC.

State agencies developed the map through funding from the CDC. The tool will have multiple uses over time. Phase 1 will examine lead paint in housing, while future phases look at other indicators of childhood blood lead-poisoning risk.

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. State law also 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.

View the full map and data here.