Trenton lead tester inspected 140 homes
- Rutgers doctoral student Sean Stratton has spent two years testing East Trenton homes for lead, and his graduation next month will end that work. - Stratton has inspected more than 140 homes and found hazards in soil, paint, and water; one yard tested above 450 parts per million. - East Trenton joined the federal Superfund list in July 2025, but door-to-door home testing still remains patchwork. (epa.gov)
Sean Stratton has tested more than 140 Trenton homes for lead over two years, and East Trenton is about to lose that service when he graduates in May. (grist.org) Stratton, a Rutgers University doctoral student in public health, has been sampling soil, paint, and water as part of dissertation work focused on how lead contamination spread through Trenton homes. (grist.org) (njspotlightnews.org) Grist reported that comprehensive testing like Stratton’s can cost more than $1,000 per property, leaving many residents dependent on a student researcher instead of a standing public program. (grist.org) One homeowner, Kim Booker, learned through Stratton’s inspection that her yard contained lead above 450 parts per million and that she had low but detectable lead in her bloodstream. (grist.org) The neighborhood he has been testing is not a small hot spot. On July 7, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency added Trenton’s Historic Potteries site, covering East Trenton contamination, to the Superfund National Priorities List. (epa.gov) (trentonnj.org) The federal listing followed testing that found lead contamination in residential yards, schools, parks, and other public spaces tied to Trenton’s pottery manufacturing past. (epa.gov) (6abc.com) Lead risk in older housing also intersects with newer federal rules. The Environmental Protection Agency said in October 2024 that any reportable level of lead dust in pre-1978 homes and child care facilities counts as hazardous. (epa.gov) That same federal framework still does not require sellers or landlords to test homes before a sale or lease. It requires them to disclose known lead-based paint hazards and give buyers or renters the EPA pamphlet before they sign. (epa.gov) (ecfr.gov) Local groups are trying to fill part of the gap. East Trenton Collaborative now points residents to lead resource cards, blood testing, Trenton Water Works line checks, and home assessments through Isles. (east-trenton.org) (isles.org) Trenton also launched child lead testing after elevated soil levels were found around Ulysses S. Grant Intermediate School in 2024, with officials saying more than 600 students were being tested. (6abc.com) (nbcphiladelphia.com) Stratton told Grist that “the city shouldn’t rely on a student to do this work.” His departure leaves East Trenton with a Superfund designation, stricter lead standards, and no clear replacement for the person who has been knocking on doors. (grist.org)
