Alarming Lead Levels Found in Hudson Valley Children

A new study released on Wednesday reveals that New York State is home to the country's highest lead levels in children. Alarmingly, one of the towns on top of the list is right here in the Hudson Valley.

The study appeared in the Journal of Pediatrics on Wednesday.  According to Syracuse.com, approximately 3 percent of children nationwide had blood lead levels at or above 5. The statistic is alarming, since there is no save level of lead. The article says that levels as low as 2 can cause problems such as low IQ, brain damage and more. The Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention has instructed medical professionals to be concerned when 5 micrograms per deciliter are found in children.

According to the study, Poughkeepsie is one of the top cities found to have extremely high lead levels in children. The data, gathered by Quest Diagnostics, shows that 15 percent of children tested in Poughkeepsie were shown to have levels between 5 and 10, while 5 percent had levels exceeding 10. This is over five times the national average.

Other cities across the state also tested at concerning levels. In Buffalo, 19 percent of children had blood lead levels between 5 and 10. Six percent of children were even higher, showing levels over 10.

The highest lead levels in children nationwide were found in Syracuse, where a staggering 40 percent of children were shown to have blood lead levels between 5 and 10, with even higher levels detected in16 percent of Syracuse children.