Tests reveal risks for potential lead exposure on SU campus

Exposure to lead can happen anywhere – even in the classrooms of a private university that charges more than $63,000 a year for tuition. 

A string of revelations in recent years has begun to bring the scope of Syracuse’s lead crisis into focus. The Harvard School of Public Health called lead poisoning “a crisis for Syracuse’s Black families” in 2022. 

Last year, 10% of children in the city who were tested suffered from elevated lead levels, putting them at risk of stunted cognitive development, brain damage and other issues. The problem disproportionately affects the most disenfranchised communities in the city.

Perched on the hill above it all sits Syracuse University, seemingly immune to the bad news coming out of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. But many of the university’s grand buildings share an important characteristic with the city’s aging housing stock: they were built before the use of lead paint was banned in 1978.  

Based on the testing of 100 high-contact areas between November and February, 10 of SU’s 17 oldest buildings had at least one positive result for lead paint, signaling a potentially more widespread issue. 

Tests were performed using the commercially available Fluoro-Spec spray kits. The testing agent has not received the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s approval, so results aren’t formally conclusive.

But multiple experts said that the frequency of positive Flouro-Spec results and visual cues of chipped or flaking paint are indicators of potential issues that should prompt SU officials to conduct further risk assessment tests to confirm surface-level screenings.

While there has been limited research on health risks from lead paint exposure for teens and adults, the hundreds of SU students, faculty and staff members who come in contact with areas such as the front doors of the Hall of Languages or Carnegie Library have potentially been exposed.

Telltale signs

In Maxwell Hall, samples across six different rooms and hallways all tested positive, ranking the building as one of the worst in our testing.

In Slocum Hall, multiple tests of the staircase banisters from the first and second floors consistently came back with positive results. The window frames and surrounding areas of multiple workshops on the first floor, such as Room 006, also generated positive tests.

A simple scratch at a window in Holden Observatory stirred up dust and also tested positive. Three other window frames within the tight confines of the main two rooms gave the same results when tested with Fluoro-Spec.

Several window and door frames in Maxwell, Slocum and Smith Halls gave what Dave Lapierre, a certified lead risk assessor and owner of CNY Lead Testing LLC, described as telltale signs of lead paint.

“The alligator-scales pattern is the most clear instance,” Lapierre said. “But if you are seeing basically any paint that is flaking, chipped or peeling, that's where you have to be careful.”

Lapierre emphasized that Flouro-Spec tests alone couldn’t be deemed conclusive, but said that further screenings could confirm the degree of lead’s presence.

SU officials declined interview requests regarding the test results and instead issued the following statement:

"The University follows applicable regulations and requirements for the management of lead-based paint, including US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and New York State regulation when applicable."

Lapierre said that SU’s statement “looks totally in line with the law.”

According to the Environmental Health & Safety Services section of the university’s website, lead abatement efforts were made in March 2020 with a set of compliance and management practices to ensure a safer environment as well as specifically to address compliance in residence halls and childcare facilities. It is unclear if there have been any more recent developments.

Syracuse’s lead issues

Lead is a toxic chemical that was commonly used in the construction of houses and buildings before the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned its use in paints in 1978 and the EPA in waterline and sewer pipes in 1986. It has been proven to pose significant health risks to those exposed, particularly children.

The prevalence of lead and its dangers have been a significant topic within the Syracuse community in the past few years. 

In fall 2024, the city announced that lead testing of pipes had revealed alarmingly high lead levels across the city, exposing many to lead-contaminated water. Activists and city officials are still locked in a heated debate surrounding the legitimacy of these claims.

Furthermore, members of the community continue to battle against the prevalence of lead paint in Syracuse homes.

Last year, children in the city who were tested suffered from elevated lead levels, putting them at risk for a plethora of health issues.

David Jacobs, chief scientist at the National Center for Healthy Housing, said that although the lead paint around SU’s campus is likely not enough to significantly affect many college-aged students, “it can still have negative effects on you at really any age.” 

“Any level above zero can be unsafe,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs and other experts have added that prolonged exposure beyond childhood can still result in problems such as hypertension, increased blood pressure and heart failure. He said that there is a gap in the research to measure just how severe the effects of exposure can be for college-aged individuals and older adults.

While intermittent exposure may not have immediate health effects, the presence of lead in a human's body remains throughout their lifetime. 

Testing across SU’s campus

SU’s campus currently has nearly 100 buildings that were built before the federal banning of lead paint in 1978. 

Spanning 17 of SU’s oldest academic buildings originally built between 1873 and 1972, 100 tests were conducted in high-contact areas such as around door frames, stairwell handrails and window sills in classrooms and hallways. Specifically testing old buildings and high-contact areas is standard practice, according to experts like Lapierre.

In each location, a surface was selected that already showed chipped paint or was lightly scratched to expose potential paint dust. Then, Fluoro-Spec spray was applied to the area. The presence of lead dust is indicated by a green glow when a UV light is shined upon the sprayed area. 

Audiogram by Finn Lincoln

Carnegie Library, Holden Observatory, Huntington Hall, Lyman Hall, Maxwell Hall, Sims Hall, Slocum Hall, Smith Hall, Tolley Hall and the Hall of Languages all had at least one positive test result for lead paint. Seven of the 10 buildings had at least 50% positive returns, according to the Flouro-Spec tests.

Multiple surface points on the front doors of Carnegie Library and the Hall of Languages that community members frequently pass through on class days consistently generated positive results.

Many locations where lead paint readings registered positive have been “sealed,” meaning an external coat of paint was layered over the lead to seal in the older toxic paint. While this practice can be safe if done correctly, the outer layer may eventually wear or chip away. 

Many sealed window and door frames around campus have already shown signs of this wear and tear.

In the 200-seat Maxwell Auditorium that regularly hosts large classes and guest speakers, both the door and window frames that showed signs of chipping tested positive for lead paint.

Testing of multiple locations in Bowne Hall, Crouse College, Hendricks Chapel, Heroy Geology Lab, Link Hall, Physics Building and Women’s Building showed no indication of lead paint.  

Lapierre said that while Fluoro-Spec lacks the governmental certification and has a potential for false positives, the results can make the case for additional testing for lead paint’s presence.

“Especially with the frequency you found, I would ask to have a full assessment done,” Lapierre said. “This would bring your argument to the next level.”

What students say

Political science sophomore Rebecca Mendes said she was surprised when hearing that lead paint was potentially present based on tests on the doors of the Hall of Languages where she was walking in to class. 

“This campus should be safe, especially since we are paying like $80,000 a year to go here, “ Mendes said. “It's kind of insane.” 

“I have used [this door] so often. It's crazy to just be hearing this.” 

Several students informed of the testing result shared Mendes’ concern, however, most said they had heard little or nothing about the lead paint issue in Syracuse. 

“I have seen some headlines about lead paint in older houses and lead in some of the water around campus,” advertising senior John Fiore said.

“It's honestly scary to hear," he added. "It's something you don't expect to be around you, but I know it can be very harmful. Hopefully, the university can take care of it.”