ISSUES

Get the Lead Out of Trenton!

 
 

La tarjeta de recursos también está disponible en español.

 

Trenton is home to many different diverse people and communities, but we all share one thing in common: exposure to lead. 

Lead is a dangerous element that is extremely toxic to humans and animals. Lead can be found in contaminated soil, lead paint, and lead pipes.

Lead exposure has dangerous consequences for both adults and children. Adults who experience prolonged exposure to lead typically experience cardiovascular, kidney, and reproductive problems. Lead exposure is especially dangerous for children as it can lead to behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, and anemia.

As one of the three Lead-Free NJ Hubs, ETC works closely with Lead-Free New Jersey to disseminate information about the dangers of lead, how to limit exposure to lead, and ultimately work to get the lead out of Trenton. There are two additional Lead-Free NJ Community Hubs, located in Newark and Paterson respectively. For a more detailed look at the various hubs and central goals of Lead-Free NJ for the 2022-2023 period, click here.

ETC and Lead-Free NJ have recently created a Lead Resource Card, available at the top of this page, which provides a number of contacts for clinical lead testing, lead pipe replacement services, and lead home assessments centered in the Trenton area, and additionally lists multiple lead prevention measures and practices you can take to keep yourself and your family safe from potential lead contamination. La tarjeta de recursos también está disponible en español.

What Can I Do?

1. Check Your Lines

Tenton Water Works (TWW) can determine if you have lead service water lines in your home. To find out if you have a copper, lead, or galvanized steel service on your property, you can:

  • Find the water meter on your property located likely in your basement or utility closet.

  • Look for the pipe that comes through the outside wall of your home and connects to your meter.

  • If the pipe is painted, use sandpaper or a key to expose the metal.

  • Determine your pipe material and send your results and address to twwleadprogram@trentonnj.org or complete the Materials Survey online at www.twwleadprogram.com/survey.

2. Visit Your Primary Care Physician for Annual Lead Level Tests

You can request that your primary care physician conduct a lead-level test on your children at their annual check-up. Children 5 and under are especially vulnerable to lead and should be tested on an annual basis.

3. Complete a Healthy Homes Assessment 

Isles can perform a Healthy Homes assessment on your home to test for lead and other contamination in both paint and water in the house. A member from the Isles team will set up an appointment and visit your home to test for lead and other indoor issues as well as give you tips on how to keep your home lead safe and healthy. More info can be found here.

4. Take measures to reduce exposure to lead contamination

Taking the necessary precautions, especially if a risk to lead exposure has been detected, is crucial and effective in reducing exposure and potentially harmful effects to your health. There are a number of everyday measures you can practice to reduce exposure to lead, many of which can be viewed below:

Resource depicting the “Do’s and Don’ts” of lead exposure

How You Can Get Involved

Get Involved with the East Trenton Collaborative

Change in your community starts with you. To work to make East Trenton a better place to live, work, and play, join our community organizing efforts! Click here to join our text messaging list to receive regular updates on news and events. The Environmental Safety Community Organizing Committee often plans events, efforts, and initiatives focusing on lead exposure and remediation. For more information on joining this committee, contact Shereyl.

Become A Lead Free NJ Member

Membership is free and signing up is easy. Join Lead Free NJ today to connect with a network of people striving to make New Jersey lead-free.

Members agree to:

  • Support our shared purpose and goals, either as an individual or as a representative of an organization

  • Support Lead-Free NJ advocacy efforts that align with your individual values or your organization’s mission

  • Look for opportunities to actively collaborate with others in your community to implement or champion lead-free efforts

By contributing your expertise, knowledge, experiences, and voice, you keep the collaboration growing and fighting to achieve our goals. This may mean participating in quarterly membership meetings, sharing information about Lead-Free NJ, joining a committee of interest, or supporting specific actions. Ultimately, your level of involvement is up to you.

For more information about Lead-Free NJ, visit their website here.