Lead Paint in NY City: "Poison Profits"

"Lead paint is making New York City’s children sick — and some landlords see it as the cost of doing business."

"New York — The one-bedroom apartment in a 1935 six-story building in the Fordham neighborhood in the Bronx wasn’t exactly Zaimah Abdul-Majeed’s dream home. It was small for a family of four, but the rent was reasonable, just $1,050 a month, and the walls looked clean with a fresh coat of white paint.

In December 2011, just two months after she and her husband moved in with their 1-year-old twins, Abdul-Majeed got a call from her pediatrician’s office. The level of lead in her daughter Zoe’s blood was alarmingly high at 21 micrograms per deciliter — an amount four times the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threshold of 5 micrograms per deciliter. The pediatrician and a nurse explained that at that level, Zoe was at risk for learning disabilities, lower intelligence and behavioral disorders.

Subsequent inspections by New York City’s health department found lead dust and paint residue throughout the family’s apartment. Inspectors also discovered patches of peeling lead paint in Zoe’s day care, located in a separate building nearby with a different owner. Abdul-Majeed sued both owners, who denied the allegations, according to court records. The lawsuit is still pending. Zoe’s twin brother, who also attended the day care, was not affected."

Scilla Alecci and Nicky Forster report for the Huffington Post March 31, 2015.