LEAD POISONING

Lead poisoning is most common, and most damaging, in very young children. Exposure to lead-based paint is the primary source of lead poisoning. The health risks posed by lead-based paint are serious, particularly in our cities and urban areas where housing stock is the oldest. For a child, even the tiniest amount of lead-based paint is potentially hazardous if it begins to peel, chip, or otherwise generate dust. Since no amount of lead is safe in the body, brief exposure can lead to disastrous results.

The Center for Disease Control and the State and City of New York consider a child lead poisoned if they have 10 mg/dl of lead in the bloodstream. In the metro area, there are thousands of children that have been poisoned by lead. The New York City Department of Health estimates that at least 30,000 children have blood lead levels of 10 mg/dl, or higher.

For more information on Lead Poisoning call 212.605.6200 or email

Alan J. Konigsberg