More kids in New Jersey are getting screened for lead, according to data released from the state Health Department for 2022, which shows the majority 78% of children who turned three that year got at least one blood test.

That's an uptick from the year prior.

But as medical experts remind us, there is no safe level of lead in children and the consequences can be devastating.

Melissa Rose Cooper takes a look at how the state is trying to eradicate the problem.

When you hear about learning disabilities, think about what?

It's a child.

They're there.

Auditory processing is affected and they can't hear the difference between S's and salmon F and Frank.

And think about what that might be like if you're trying to learn to read.

Just one example of the negative impact a child was exposed to low can face, according to Elise Pivarnick.

The highly toxic metal is known to cause brain damage and behavioral problems in both kids and adults.

But it's especially concerning as a child develops.

It also affects your short term memory and you learn your multiplication tables on Monday and on Tuesday you can't remember them.

So and it it really you can sometimes the hallmark is you're trying as hard as you can and you sort of can't learn like your peers who are not led or.

It's an issue New Jersey is taking steps to address with more kids getting tested, according to a new report from the state health Department for fiscal year 2022.

78% of children who turn three that year were tested at least once for lead, compared to 72% in 2021.

Data also shows the rates of lead poisoning has dropped in recent years, but that number is expected to go up since New Jersey is lowering its elevated level threshold from five micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood to 3.5.

There is no safe level of lead in a child's blood.

Any amount, no matter how small, does have a detrimental effect.

And so it is a is a very reassuring thing to see that that standard is being lowered in conjunction with this report coming out.

New Jersey is now looking to invest an additional $5.2 million to expand its lead screening program for children.

Kelvin Bodie says while many people tend to associate exposure with pipes, paint is the most common source of contamination.

Despite a nearly 50 year old ban on lead.

Paint, even though we're not as all of the country as the rest of the world, we are a very old state.

And that means that we have some of the oldest housing stock in the country here in New Jersey.

And so unfortunately, it means that you often have a lot of vulnerable lower income or immigrant populations that are moving into lower housing stock, especially in cities that had a legacy of being an industrial or really working with those materials.

And so despite the fact that we've sort of recognized the legacy of a lot of what it does to people, we're still dealing with infrastructure and housing stock within a lot of our older municipalities that people are still being exposed to paint and other construction materials.

And then we have other ones, we have diabetic medicines which have been known to have lead.

We've seen candy over the years from other countries which have had lead.

We've seen toys and old cribs that are painted with lead.

Bruce Ruck, managing director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, says early detection and prevention are key.

So if you are living in an older home in New Jersey, built before the late seventies, we suggest that the house be tested.

And if lead is found, then we have to separate the child from the source until such time as at home is abated and cleaned up.

We suggest that all children between the ages of one into have a blood test at age one and an age two.

If they skipped it, then they should have it done as soon as possible after that.

The proposed funding to expand the LED testing program is part of the governor's proposed state budget.

Lawmakers have until before the fiscal year starts in July to approve it.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Melissa Cooper.