Brooklyn Leads City In Child Lead Poisoning Cases, Data Shows

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- More Brooklyn kids suffered from lead poisoning in 2018 than in any other borough, but Brooklyn did not see the biggest drop in reported cases, statistics released Wednesday show.

Nearly half of the 4,717 New York City children who were found to have dangerous levels of lead in their blood hailed from Brooklyn, a report from the New York City Health Department shows.

With 2,158 cases, Brooklyn had about seven times the 289 lead poisoning cases reported in Manhattan, 12 times the 174 cases in Staten Island, about 2.5 times the 819 cases in The Bronx and more than 1.5 times the 1277 cases reported in Queens, data shows.

Yet it was Queens that saw the largest drop in lead poisoning in the past year, with lead poisoning numbers dropping by 233, or by 15%, from the 1510 reported in 2017, Health Department data shows

In comparison, Brooklyn numbers dropped just 8% with 177 less cases reported in 2018 than the 2,335 reported in 2017, statistics show.

Manhattan numbers dropped 6%, Bronx numbers dropped 16% and Staten Island numbers dropped 1.7%.

The quarterly report was released as part of the LeadFreeNYC plan, which Mayor Bill de Blasio launched in January after a Daily News report found the city had not included about 780 cases of lead poisoning in its reports on NYCHA testing.

Health Department data from the Wednesday report reflect findings from the 351,486 New York City children tested for lead poisoning in 2018.

The 2018 findings reflected a historic low for New York City but Health Department officials warned parents to remain vigilant against signs of lead poisoning.

“We must continue to work to protect children from lead exposure,” said Health Commissioner Dr. OxirisBarbot.

“If you are a parent of a child under 3, contact your pediatrician to have their blood lead levels tested. If you notice peeling or damaged paint in your home, call 311 to report it.”