Menu
High lead levels were found at three Trenton parks — prompting some areas to be closed and for officials to caution parents to not let children eat or play in the dirt.
Brian Buckley, executive director of Rutgers University’s Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, said Thursday that children — especially those younger than 6 — are vulnerable because lead is a neurodevelopmental toxin and greatly affects the developing brain.
Buckley added that we are also “beginning to see lead’s association with other health effects (such as) preeclampsia, cardio vascular disease, high blood pressure and others, in adults.”
Historically, places in New Jersey like Newark, Trenton and Bordentown have had long-running problems with lead and have worked — both independently and with the state — to remedy those issues. In January 2023, three state departments announced an online tool to help residents get a better idea of their exposure level. But while it’s true we may better grasp this environmental problem that dates back decades, finding solutions will continue to be time-intensive and expensive.
Source: NJ.com – April 18, 2024
Copyright © 2021, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
