Lansing, MI - Blood lead data for Michigan children with elevated blood lead levels are now available online through Michigan Environmental Public Health Tracking (MiTracking) for those with a blood lead level of 3.5 µg/dL and higher. Previously, data had been available for blood lead levels of 5 µg/dL and higher.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated its definition of an elevated blood lead level in May 2022 following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updating their blood lead reference value (BLRV) from 5 ug/dL to 3.5 ug/dL. The BLRV is used to identify children with higher levels of lead in their blood compared to 97.5% of children in the United States. The BLRV is not health-based but is used as a tool to identify children who need public health services and further medical evaluation. It is also used to prioritize communities that need interventions to reduce lead exposure. There is no safe level of lead in blood.
“MDHHS is committed to preventing Michigan children from being exposed to lead,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “Public health officials, health care providers and the general public can access data to learn about prevalence of childhood blood lead levels in their communities and make informed decisions about prevention efforts for exposure to lead in children.”
More than 3,400 Michigan children had an elevated blood lead level of 3.5 µg/dL and higher in 2021. More than half of those children (1,907) had a blood lead level of 5 µg/dL and higher.
There are a variety of services to minimize health impacts of lead exposure and prevent future exposure that are available through state and local public health for children with elevated blood lead levels. Services previously offered to children with blood lead levels greater than or equal to 4.5 µg/dL, including nursing case management, home environmental lead investigations and lead abatement, will be expanded to eligible families and households with children with confirmed blood lead levels greater than or equal to 3.5 µg/dL.
Lead exposure can come from many sources including paint in homes built before 1978, dust, soil, drinking water from older plumbing, jobs or hobbies that involve lead, and some imported goods.
It’s important for parents and caretakers of children less than 6 years old to talk to their child’s health care provider about blood lead testing, especially if there is concern for lead exposure. Lead exposure early in life has been shown to cause problems with learning, behavior, hearing and growth.
You can explore the childhood lead data on the MiTracking data portal at Michigan.gov/MiTracking. Michigan data are available at the state, county, local health department, and zip code levels. Data are available from 2010 through 2021.
Visit Michigan.gov/MiLeadSafe for more information about lead hazards, blood lead testing, and lead services.