City's Lead Poisoning Numbers in Public Housing May be Misleading

New York City Housing Authority officials say fewer than two dozen children were affected after it stopped inspecting apartments for lead paint in 2012.

But earlier data suggests that number could be misleading.

Between 2010 and 2015, city officials reported 202 children in NYCHA housing tested positive for high lead levels in their blood. Health officials found lead in 63 apartments and ordered the housing authority to fix them. But after sending paint chips to an independent lab, NYCHA chairwoman Shola Olatoye says only 17 of those cases were caused by lead paint in the children's apartments. 

Health department officials signed off on the new number, even though it was significantly lower. A spokeswoman said the department regularly allows re-testing. She said the elevated levels could have come from a number of sources, from pottery to living with a household member whose job or hobby involves lead.

However, 17 cases may be an understatement because the city defines "elevated lead levels" at 10 micrograms per deciliter. That's double the U.S Centers for Disease Control standard since 2012 of 5 micrograms per deciliter.

Public Advocate Leticia James called for Olatoye to resign after NYCHA admitted it had not tested for lead for four years. However, Mayor Bill de Blasio has defended her record, arguing that she's making progress on repair backlogs and capital problems at NYCHA.