{"id":2151295,"date":"2026-02-05T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/?post_type=article&#038;p=2151295"},"modified":"2026-02-11T08:11:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T13:11:39","slug":"new-orleans-lead-contamination-parks-playgrounds-testing","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/new-orleans-lead-contamination-parks-playgrounds-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"Poison at Play: Unsafe Levels of Lead Found in Half of New Orleans Playgrounds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>NEW ORLEANS \u2014 Sarah Hess started taking her toddler, Josie, to Mickey Markey Playground in 2010 because she thought it would offer a refuge from lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"block--sidebar alignright \">\n\t\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kaiser-health-news-partner block--partner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"partner__image--link\" href=\"https:\/\/veritenews.org\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"partner__image\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/VeriteNews-logo.png?w=120\" alt=\"Partner logo\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"partner__content\">\n\t\tThis story also ran on <a href=\"https:\/\/veritenews.org\/2026\/02\/05\/poison-at-play-playgrounds-lead-levels\/\">Verite News<\/a>. It can be <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/new-orleans-lead-contamination-parks-playgrounds-testing\/view\/republish\/\">republished for free<\/a>.\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>After a routine doctor visit revealed Josie had lead poisoning, Hess quickly traced the source to the crumbling paint in her family\u2019s century-old home in the Bayou St. John neighborhood. While it underwent lead remediation, the family stayed in a newer, lead-free house near Markey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEveryone was telling us the safest place to play was outside at playgrounds, so that\u2019s where we went,\u201d Hess said. Josie became a Markey regular, playing on the swings and slides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Josie\u2019s next blood test was a shock. \u201cIt skyrocketed,\u201d Hess said. Josie\u2019s lead levels had leaped to nearly five times the national health standard. The likely culprit, according to scientists at the time, was Josie\u2019s favorite park. Soil testing found it had dangerously high levels of lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>City officials took no action to inform Markey\u2019s users or make the park safe. But parents started posting warning signs at the park and flooded City Hall with calls and emails. With Josie on her hip, Hess made an impassioned speech at a City Council meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short order, the city hired a company to test Markey and other parks and pledged to fix the lead problem wherever it was found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy impression was they were going to make them all lead-free parks,\u201d Hess said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But a Verite News investigation conducted over four months in 2025 found that lead pollution in New Orleans parks not only persists \u2014 it is more widespread than previously known. Dozens of city parks with playgrounds remain unsafe, including Markey and other parks that underwent a city-sponsored lead remediation in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"wp-block block--newsletter  \"\n\tdata-type=\"kaiser-health-news\/newsletter\"\n\tdata-align=\"center\"\n\tstyle=\"\"\n>\n\t<h4 class=\"newsletter__title\">\n\t\t<a href=\"\/email\/\">\n\t\t\tEmail Sign-Up\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/h4>\n\t<p class=\"newsletter__description\">\n\t\tSubscribe to KFF Health News&#039; free Morning Briefing.\t<\/p>\n\t\n<form\n\taction=\"\/email-signup\/\"\n\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form\"\n\tmethod=\"post\"\n>\n\t<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"kaiser_hubspot_nonce\" name=\"kaiser_hubspot_nonce\" value=\"dc9818bd64\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/2151295\" \/>\t\t\t\t<label\n\t\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__label--email\"\n\t\tfor=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form-email\"\n\t>\n\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">\n\t\t\tYour Email Address\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<input\n\t\t\tautocomplete=\"email\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__input--email\"\n\t\t\tid=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form-email\"\n\t\t\tname=\"kaiser_hubspot_email\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"email\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Your email address\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t<\/label>\n\t<button class=\"kaiser-hubspot-mini-signup-form__submit\">\n\t\tSign Up\t<\/button>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings indicate that city officials fell short in their cleanup efforts then, and that a very large number of New Orleans children are exposed to excessive amounts of lead, said Howard Mielke, a retired Tulane University toxicologist and one of the nation\u2019s top experts on lead contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a failed program,\u201d he said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t do what they needed to do to bring the lead levels down in a single park.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Verite News reporters tested hundreds of soil samples from 84 city parks with playgrounds in fall 2025. Adrienne Katner, a lead-contamination researcher with Louisiana State University, verified the results. The testing found that about half the parks had lead concentrations that exceeded the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/biden-harris-administration-strengthens-safeguards-protect-families-and-children-lead\">federal hazard level<\/a> established in 2024 for soil in urban areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf there\u2019s evidence of kids playing in soils that are as high as you described, that\u2019s kind of horrifying,\u201d Gabriel Filippelli, an Indiana University biochemist who studies lead exposure, told Verite News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg\" alt=\"A person squats down to insert a handheld machine into the ground beside a tetherball pole. A second person stands beside the first and holds a phone out over the first person and the location of the sampling.\" class=\"wp-image-2151776\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg 3840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-03_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Verite reporter Tristan Baurick tests lead levels while reporter Halle Parker maps the GPS coordinates of the reading at Mirabeau Playground, in New Orleans\u2019 Gentilly neighborhood, in September.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Christiana Botic\/Verite News and CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Public health researchers and doctors say that children under 6 absorb lead-laden dust more easily than adults, contaminating their blood and harming the long-term development of their brains and nervous systems. There is no known safe exposure level for children, and even trace amounts can result in behavioral problems and lower cognitive abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Larry Barabino is the CEO of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, which oversees most of the city\u2019s parks. He said the city doesn\u2019t routinely test for lead in parks, and he confirmed that the last significant effort to do so was in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He called Verite\u2019s results \u201cdefinitely concerning\u201d and pledged to work with city officials, local experts, and a city environmental consultant, Materials Management Group, to potentially remediate unsafe parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s definitely concerning if it\u2019s at the level that\u2019s considered a true risk or threat, and we would get it to Capital Projects immediately to get MMG out there,\u201d Barabino said, referring to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nola.gov\/next\/capital-projects-administration\/about\/\">News Orleans Capital Projects Administration<\/a>. \u201cIf there\u2019s anything that\u2019s a true environmental concern or risk, that\u2019s something that we believe in definitely making sure we take action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But New Orleans is in financial straits, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/veritenews.org\/2026\/01\/07\/helena-moreno-interview-mayor\/\">budget deficit<\/a> of about $220 million, and it\u2019s unclear what resources new mayor Helena Moreno would be able to devote to restart lead remediation efforts. In response to the financial crisis, Moreno has already eliminated dozens of positions and plans to furlough 700 employees one day per pay period to save money. Moreno\u2019s administration did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Andrea Young heard pledges similar to Barabino\u2019s 15 years ago. Like Hess, Young had a child who frequented Markey and had high lead levels in her blood. Alongside other mothers, she helped push the city to take action. Young thought they had succeeded but said she now realizes that the city didn\u2019t do enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt makes me question the value\u201d of the work the city did, Young said, \u201cand the safety we felt in letting our kids play there again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"block--side-by-side-photo alignfull \">\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-columns side-by-side__columns\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column side-by-side__column\" style=\"flex-basis:447.92093023256px\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image side-by-side__block-image side-by-side__block-image--left\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1467\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-2151778 size-full attachment-full\" alt=\"A child&#039;s feet can be seen sticking out from one of the twists of a green plastic slide at a playground.\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 781px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg 2681w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=105,150 105w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=349,500 349w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=768,1100 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=887,1270 887w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=1072,1536 1072w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=1430,2048 1430w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=120,172 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=170,243 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=300,430 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=500,716 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=315,451 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=630,902 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-05_vert-web.jpg?resize=1200,1719 1200w\" \/><!-- image-left -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA child goes down the slide at Daneel Playground in Uptown New Orleans in November. \t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Christiana Botic\/Verite News and CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/span><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column side-by-side__column\" style=\"flex-basis:962.07906976744px\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image side-by-side__block-image side-by-side__block-image--right\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-2151779 size-full attachment-full\" alt=\"A pair of pink and white sneakers are placed on the ground beside playground tiles.\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 781px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg 3840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-06_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" \/><!-- image-right -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s common for children to play barefoot at the Mickey Markey Park playground in New Orleans\u2019 Bywater neighborhood. \t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Christiana Botic\/Verite News and CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/span><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>Testing New Orleans Parks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead is typically found in very small amounts in natural soil. The average lead abundance in U.S. soils is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/superfund\/lead-superfund-sites-human-health\">26 parts per million<\/a>, equivalent to less than an ounce of lead per ton of soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But New Orleans, like many other cities, has a long history of lead contamination in its soil, from sources including lead-based paint, leaded gasoline, and emissions from waste incinerators and other industrial facilities. Lead particles spread easily by wind, eventually settling in the topsoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The federal hazard level for lead in soil was 400 ppm <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/newsreleases\/biden-harris-administration-strengthens-safeguards-protect-families-and-children-lead\">until early 2024<\/a>, when the Environmental Protection Agency lowered it to 200 ppm for most residential areas and 100 ppm in urban areas like New Orleans with multiple sources of lead exposure. Last fall, the Trump administration <a href=\"https:\/\/semspub.epa.gov\/work\/HQ\/100003761.pdf\">eliminated the lower 100-ppm limit<\/a>, arguing it was confusing to have two thresholds. It didn\u2019t argue that the 100-ppm level was safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More of a guide than a mandate, the EPA screening levels can steer federal cleanup actions and are often adopted by state and city governments to inform local responses to lead contamination. California has long had a much <a href=\"https:\/\/oehha.ca.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/downloads\/risk-assessment\/fact-sheet\/leadfactsheet.pdf\">lower standard<\/a> of 80 ppm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mielke said the Trump administration\u2019s change doesn\u2019t align with the science, which has long shown that children are harmed when exposed to soil with levels below 100 ppm. He was one of several scientists who had pushed for lower thresholds after the EPA established its first screening levels more than 30 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said the 100-ppm level should still be applied in urban areas, especially New Orleans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Verite conducted soil tests on the 84 city parks that property inventories and maps list as having play structures. Samples were taken from surface soil, which is most likely to come into contact with children\u2019s hands and toys or be inhaled when kicked up during play or blown by the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The average soil sample collected by Verite contained lead levels of about 121 ppm. Elevated lead levels tended to follow the age of the neighborhood. The city\u2019s older neighborhoods, including the Irish Channel and Algiers Point, had some of the highest lead levels, while places like Gentilly and New Orleans East, developed mostly after the 1950s, tended to have lower levels, according to Verite\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The highest lead levels were found at Evans Park in the Freret neighborhood. Beside a low-hanging oak branch, on ground worn bare by children&#8217;s play, Verite recorded lead at 5,998 ppm, nearly 60 times the 100-ppm urban soils threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--iframe\">\n\t<iframe\n\t\tallow=\"fullscreen\"\n\t\tframeborder=\"0\"\n\t\theight=\"516\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/veritenews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/data\/lead-testing\/nola-lead-testing-map.html?key=VLMJjNvCvgGYvwuNozyhBeTFbUUWDDrg\"\n\t\twidth=\"100%\"\n\t><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--iframe\">\n\t<iframe\n\t\tallow=\"fullscreen\"\n\t\tframeborder=\"0\"\n\t\theight=\"810\"\n\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/veritenews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/data\/lead-testing\/nola-lead-testing-database.html?key=VLMJjNvCvgGYvwuNozyhBeTFbUUWDDrg\"\n\t\twidth=\"100%\"\n\t><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Verite spoke to more than a dozen parents at playgrounds throughout the city, and most were surprised at the levels of lead in the parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Irish Channel, Meg Potts watched her son run around the dusty Brignac playground. All of Verite\u2019s samples at that park surpassed the threshold the EPA deemed safe for urban areas, reaching nearly 600 ppm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Potts knew high lead levels existed in the city but said she didn\u2019t realize her neighborhood park could be a source of exposure for her son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u200aI\u2019m just, like, thinking about all of this now because he\u2019s had to go in and have his lead tested,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s like right on the cusp of having too-high lead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katner, the LSU researcher, said Verite\u2019s results can serve as a starting point for city officials to conduct more comprehensive testing in parks, noting that even a single lead hot spot in a park is concerning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe kid playing in that part of the park is going to get the highest dose,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>A Legacy of Lead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the 1970s, lead was ubiquitous. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2118631119\">2022 study estimated<\/a> that most of the U.S. population born before the 1980s was poisoned by dangerously high levels of lead in early childhood, resulting in an average loss of at least one IQ point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead pollution from cars spread into areas near roads, especially major thoroughfares, until leaded gasoline was phased out by 1996. Similarly, emissions from trash incinerators and industrial sites contaminated the surrounding soil in some New Orleans neighborhoods until they were closed in the 1970s and \u201980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the most pervasive source of lead in soil is degraded paint. Lead-based paint was used extensively for homes and buildings until it was banned in 1978. In New Orleans, most of the houses were built before 1980, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/data.census.gov\/table\/ACSST1Y2024.S2504?q=housing&amp;g=310XX00US35380\">2024 American Community Survey<\/a>. As the paint deteriorates, Tulane University epidemiologist Felicia Rabito said, it can chip or turn into toxic dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg\" alt=\"In the foreground is the trunk and roots of a large tree. In the background, children run around and climb on blue, green, and yellow playground equipment.\" class=\"wp-image-2151777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg 3840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-04_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play at Desmare Playground, in New Orleans\u2019 Bayou St. John neighborhood, in 2025.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Christiana Botic\/Verite News and CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u200aThe leaded paint goes straight into the dust and it goes straight into the soils, which is a major source of exposure for young children in the city,\u201d said Rabito, who studies lead poisoning and other health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children under 6 are especially vulnerable, in part because they like to stick their hands in their mouths. A child eating a dropped Cheerio or putting their thumb in their mouth after playing on a seesaw can be enough to cause harm. Rabito recommended that parents avoid contaminated playgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only way to know whether a child has lead poisoning is a medical test. By <a href=\"https:\/\/ldh.la.gov\/page\/4935\">state law<\/a>, Louisiana health care providers <a href=\"https:\/\/regulations.justia.com\/states\/louisiana\/title-48\/part-v\/subpart-18\/chapter-70\/section-v-7005\/\">are required<\/a> to ensure every child between 6 months and 6 years of age receives at least two blood tests, recommended at age 1 and age 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the law does not include a way to enforce those testing requirements, so many health care providers don\u2019t test, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/ldh.la.gov\/assets\/oph\/Center-PHCH\/Center-PH\/cshs\/LHHCLPPP\/Louisiana_Lead_Report_2017_FINAL.pdf\">2017 report<\/a> from the Louisiana Department of Health. In 2022, fewer than 1 in 10 children under 6 were screened for lead poisoning in the city, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u200aThere\u2019s not anything that we can say about lead poisoning or lead levels in children in Orleans Parish with any scientific certainty,\u201d Rabito said. \u201c\u200aParents really need to get their children tested.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>Limited Soil Testing, Patchy Fixes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2011, the last time there was outcry over lead pollution in parks, the New Orleans health commissioner at the time, Karen DeSalvo, said the city should do \u201ceverything we can to understand what the risk might be and to remediate it.\u201d But she also called it \u201cnot the greatest challenge, honestly,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nola.com\/entertainment_life\/louisiana_health\/new-orleans-parks-rooted-in-areas-containing-dangerous-levels-of-lead\/article_9d51ed4b-b6b5-54f6-b7ea-170e73c5ac61.html\">according to The Times-Picayune<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu promised a comprehensive response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe city will take all necessary measures to investigate possible lead contamination in other parks and playgrounds and remediate them as soon as possible,\u201d he said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nola.com\/news\/politics\/markey-park-reopening-today-after-lead-remediation\/article_8882d368-81b1-5eca-b95d-1bdfc09e9425.html\">in March 2011<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two months later, testing and remediation were completed at several parks. Parents brought their children back to the reopened playgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite city leaders\u2019 assurances of a broad response, only 16 parks were tested in 2011 and the city\u2019s piecemeal cleanup covered only patches of contaminated soil rather than entire parks, according to documents obtained through public records requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That stunned the vocal group of parents who had pushed for cleaning up the Markey playground. Young, one of the mothers, said the scope of the 2011 testing and remediation was much more limited than she thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf the majority of the parks they tested were high, what would make them think all the others are fine?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Verite\u2019s testing found high levels of lead at several playgrounds that were remediated in 2011, including Markey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing jeans and sneakers squats down to to insert a handheld machine into the ground.\" class=\"wp-image-2151868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg 3840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-02_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Baurick uses an X-ray fluorescence analyzer to test lead levels in the soil at Oak Park Playground, in New Orleans\u2019 Gentilly area, in September.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Christiana Botic\/Verite News and CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The results disturbed Mielke, the Tulane toxicologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2010, Mielke led an effort to reduce lead exposure at 10 private child care center playgrounds in New Orleans. He and his team covered the entire footprint of each playground with water-pervious plastic fabric and then 6 inches of Mississippi River sediment from the Bonnet Carr\u00e9 Spillway, a source of clean, cheap, and easily accessible soil. Lead levels fell, with most playgrounds testing below 10 ppm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, the city\u2019s remediation was mostly limited to areas with lead levels above 400 ppm, leaving many hazardous areas exposed. Testing and remediation reports obtained by Verite typically showed MMG focused on two or three spots in each park, with the rest going untreated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Easton Park in Bayou St. John, for instance, the 2011 remediation covered four areas totaling about 4,700 square feet, but the park\u2019s playground was left untouched. Verite measured four samples around the playground that exceeded the 100-ppm threshold, including 1,060-ppm and 603-ppm readings near Easton\u2019s swing set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One park, Evans in the Freret neighborhood, wasn\u2019t remediated despite lead levels as high as 610 ppm in 2011. The reason wasn\u2019t clear in progress reports submitted by MMG. In Verite\u2019s 2025 tests, Evans recorded the highest level, with 5,998 ppm in one location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MMG did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Landrieu did not respond to a request for comment. DeSalvo, who retired last summer as Google\u2019s chief health officer, said \u201cextremely limited resources\u201d forced the city to weigh its response to lead contamination in parks with the many other health threats residents faced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe worked to address the range of exposures whenever possible with the resources we could muster,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg\" alt=\"Turquoise paint peels off of a metal pole. Trees are out of focus in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-2151867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg 3840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/NOLA-lead-01_3840x2560web.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paint peels off a pole at Hunter\u2019s Field Playground in New Orleans in September.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Christiana Botic\/Verite News and CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>A Road Map for Cleanup?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Filippelli, of Indiana University, said the city should conduct comprehensive testing of every park and do regular checkups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But because lead contamination in New Orleans parks is extensive and city leaders are struggling to close a large budget deficit, Filippelli recommends that the city remediate the worst parks first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He and Mielke don\u2019t believe the city must go the expensive route of full remediation, which involves digging up lead-tainted soil and trucking it to a hazardous waste landfill. It\u2019s usually unnecessary if a park is properly capped with clean soil, Filippelli said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Verite obtained cost estimates for 10 of the 13 parks targeted for remediation in 2011. The total cost was $83,000 in 2011, or about $120,000 today. The work covered just more than 1.3 acres across the 10 properties. Filippelli estimated that similar work could be done today for about $20,000 per acre \u2014 about a fifth of what was spent to remediate just over an acre at New Orleans parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remediation should be coupled with efforts to reduce contamination from nearby sources, primarily old houses shedding lead-based paint, Rabito said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you clean up soil, you\u2019re not going to do it much good if you haven\u2019t identified what\u2019s contaminating the soil,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cleaning up New Orleans parks is also likely to require sustained public pressure, said the parents involved with the lead issue in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was not intending to kick butts or make anybody look bad,\u201d Claudia Copeland said of her efforts to alert parents about the dangers at Markey. \u201cBut nothing would have happened unless all these parents were calling in to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-kaiser-health-news-methodology module module--methodology\"><h4 class=\"methodology__header\">Methodology<\/h4><div class=\"methodology__content\">\n<p>Verite News reporters Tristan Baurick and Halle Parker were trained to use <a href=\"https:\/\/serc.carleton.edu\/research_education\/geochemsheets\/techniques\/XRF.html\">an X-ray fluorescence analyzer<\/a>, or XRF, a handheld device that can detect the unique traits of lead at trace levels, down to 10 parts per million. The analyzer is widely used by government and university scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reporters tested 531 soil samples over a month in late 2025, following protocols developed by retired Tulane University toxicologist Howard Mielke and vetted by three other lead-contamination researchers. The reporters tested surface soil in and around play structures and other areas of parks that children use. Of the more than 110 parks in New Orleans, Verite concentrated on the 84 that city property inventories and maps list as having play structures. The reporters took between three and 11 samples at each park, depending on the size, site accessibility, and levels of contamination. A GPS device was used to record each sample\u2019s location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Verite\u2019s results were reviewed by Adrienne Katner, a lead-contamination researcher at Louisiana State University. She verified the accuracy of the testing by comparing it with a smaller set of park soil samples collected by her team last summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While valid, the method did have limitations. The results can\u2019t be used to determine the state of a whole park. But even one elevated soil sample can provide a starting point for city officials to conduct more comprehensive testing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article was produced in collaboration with <u><a href=\"https:\/\/veritenews.org\/\">Verite News<\/a><\/u>. The four-month investigation was supported by a Kozik Environmental Justice Reporting grant funded by the National Press Foundation and the National Press Club Journalism Institute. It was also produced as a project for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism\u2019s National Fellowship fund and Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Verite News\u2019 reporters tested soil in more than 80 playgrounds for lead contamination. Even in trace amounts, lead exposure in children can result in lower IQs, learning challenges, and behavioral issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2151780,"template":"","meta":{"_cr_original_post":"","_cr_replace_post_id":"","_cr_replacing_post_id":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"kff_featured_video":0,"kff_show_featured_video":false,"kff_show_mute_audio_button":false,"custom_shortlink":"\/MjE1MTI5NQ","kaiser_health_news_byline_override":"","kaiser_health_news_can_republish":true,"kaiser_health_news_featured_image_caption":"","kaiser_health_news_header_overlay_color":"","kaiser_health_news_header_theme_slug":"theme-above-header","kaiser_health_news_hero_image":0,"kaiser_health_news_backdrop_padding":115,"kaiser_health_news_hide_partner":false,"kaiser_health_news_kicker":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_background_color":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_text_color":"","kaiser_health_news_kicker_url":"","kaiser_health_news_nav_theme_slug":"compact","kaiser_health_news_nav_transparency":true,"kaiser_health_news_sharing_title":"","kaiser_health_news_show_featured_image":true,"kaiser_health_news_subheadline":"","kaiser_health_news_suppress_kicker":false,"kaiser_health_news_suppress_subheadline":false,"kaiser_health_news_update_time":"","kaiser_health_news_vertical_image":0,"kaiser_health_news_title_align_left":false,"kaiser_health_news_custom_header_image":0,"photo_byline":[],"story_update":"","update_position":"bottom","kaiser_syndication_sites":[],"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-02-05T10:07:58Z","apple_news_api_id":"dbd9043d-7716-47cf-8f07-e66f7b90be13","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-02-11T13:11:47Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A29kEPXcWR8-PB-Zve5C-Ew","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":["https:\/\/news-api.apple.com\/sections\/20265c01-23d7-4d15-96e0-0691b89c3772"],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[439525024,4755,28006,439528530,31304,36835],"tags":[102910,439524290,439524369,59350],"primary-topic":[],"partners":[439530081],"funder":[439528750],"coauthors":[439530468,439530198],"class_list":["post-2151295","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-graphics","category-multimedia","category-public-health","category-southern-bureau","category-states","category-syndicate","tag-childrens-health","tag-environmental-health","tag-investigation","tag-louisiana","partners-verite-news","funder-robert-wood-johnson-foundation"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Poison at Play: Unsafe Levels of Lead Found in Half of New Orleans Playgrounds - KFF Health News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Verite News\u2019 reporters tested soil in more than 80 playgrounds for lead contamination. Even in trace amounts, lead exposure in children can result in lower IQs, learning challenges, and behavioral issues.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/new-orleans-lead-contamination-parks-playgrounds-testing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Poison at Play: Unsafe Levels of Lead Found in Half of New Orleans Playgrounds - KFF Health News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Verite News\u2019 reporters tested soil in more than 80 playgrounds for lead contamination. 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