Why Is This Important?

While all children in New Jersey are at risk of exposure to lead, children who reside in homes build prior to 1950 are at highest risk for elevated blood lead due to the potential presence of leaded paint. In addition, children living in homes constructed prior to 1980 are at risk due to the fact that use of lead-based paint for residential homes was not discontinued until 1980. Major sources of lead exposure to children include peeling or deteriorated leaded paint, lead-contaminated dust created by renovation or removal of lead-containing paint, and lead contamination brought home by adults who work in an occupation that involves lead or who engage in a hobby where lead is used. Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults. The first six years of life are the time when the brain grows the fastest, and when the critical connections in the brain and nervous system that control thought, learning, hearing, movement, behavior, and emotions are formed. The normal behavior of very young children (crawling, exploring, teething, and putting objects in their mouth) exposes young children to lead that is present in their environment.

Definition

Percent of housing units built before 1950 or before 1980

Data Source

How the Measure is Calculated

How Are We Doing?

According to 2019-2023 American Community Survey (ACS) data, New Jersey had over 900,000 housing units which were built before 1950. The number of housing units built before 1950 ranged from slightly less than 8,000 in Salem County to almost 130,000 in Essex County. The percentage of housing units built before 1950 was highest in Essex (38.5%) and Passaic (39.3%) Counties. Ocean County had the lowest percentage of housing units built before 1950 (7.1%). Also according to 2019-2023 ACS data, New Jersey had approximately 2.4 million housing units which were built before 1980. The number of housing units built before 1980 ranged from approximately 20,000 in Salem County to approximately 275,000 in Bergen County. The percentage of housing units built before 1980 was highest in Union (79.5%) and Passaic (78.3%) Counties. Somerset County had the lowest percentage of housing units built before 1980 (46.8%).

What Is Being Done?

The New Jersey Department of Health's [https://www.nj.gov/health/childhood-lead/ Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program] maintains a surveillance system that collects information from laboratories regarding the results of blood lead tests performed on children in New Jersey, identifies children with elevated test results, and notifies local health departments regarding children with elevated blood lead tests who reside in their jurisdiction.

More Resources

Healthy Homes Resources: *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), [https://www.cdc.gov/lead-prevention/about/ Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program] *U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), [http://www.epa.gov/lead/ Lead] *NJ Department of Environmental Protection, [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/bc82aa1d39d54e5d944d701cf7e8450d Potential Lead Exposure Mapping Tool]

Health Program Information

Additional information on surveillance and services related to the prevention of childhood lead poisoning can be obtained from the New Jersey Department of Health's [https://www.nj.gov/health/childhood-lead/ Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program].