RELEASE: July 28, 2000

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Mobile Exhibit Will Teach Children How to Prevent Lead Poisoning

Department of Human Services Commissioner Michele K. Guhl, Community Affairs Commissioner Jane M. Kenny, and other top state officials were joined by 30 preschoolers today to launch the new Mobile Lead Exploratorium, a 30-foot long educational vehicle that soon will begin teaching children around the state how to prevent lead poisoning.

In a ceremony outside the Statehouse to mark National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Guhl, and Kenny were also joined Banking and Insurance Commissioner Karen L. Suter Health and Senior Services Deputy Commissioner George DiFernando, Fred Patterson, chairman of the Governor's Council on the Prevention of Mental Retatrdation and Developmental Disabilities and Joan Cook Luckhardt, director of the Lead Poisoning Prevention Education in the Department of Psychiatry, Developmental Disabilities Program at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Stratford Division (UMDNJ).

The Lead Exploratorium is a joint venture of the Department of Human Services’ Interagency Task Force on the prevention of Lead Poisoning and UMDNJ.

The vehicle will visit preschools and elementary schools to focus on young children, who are most vulnerable to the dangers of lead poisoning, which can cause learning disabilities, hearing loss and behavioral problems.

"Lead is insidious and pervasive in our environment," said DHS Commissioner Guhl. "It is in homes that are more than 20 years old. It has been found in wells that people use for their drinking water. And it settles in the soil. One way or another, virtually every child in the state of New Jersey is exposed to lead. … So while it is unrealistic to expect to eliminate lead from our lives, we can take prudent measures to minimize its deleterious effects. One of the ways we can do that is by emphasizing education to increase public awareness."

Lead, considered one of the most significant environmental health threats to American children, is today found primarily in lead-based paint that was used extensively in older homes before it was outlawed in 1978. The older the home, the more likely it is that the paint has deteriorated and can be found in dust or soil that can be easily ingested by young children.

"As a state with older housing, we all need to be vigilant and continue to ask the right questions about the potential for lead hazard exposure," said DCA Commissioner Kenny. "We love our older homes in New Jersey. They have a charm and outward beauty often not found in more modern construction. But we need to be aware that on the inside, these structures may poisonous risk from lead-based paint."

It is estimated that 85 percent, or about 2.6 million units, of New Jersey’s housing stock was built before 1978. More than 756,000 residential units in New Jersey were built before 1939.

The Lead Exploratorium will present its message to children through the use of interactive displays and puppet shows. Its child-sized exhibits were designed by Sandy Caesar, who has also done extensive work designing exhibits for the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

For more information on how to schedule a visit from the Lead Exploratorium, call UMDNJ at 856-566-6225.