Agencies
Services
Childhood Lead Poisoning Surveillance
The routine childhood blood lead testing, reporting, follow-up, and prevention are summarized in the annual surveillance report by selected demographics (county, age, gender, race, and poverty status). The annual reports date back to 1993 and are intended to serve as standard reference for legislators, community-based organizations, city, state and federal agencies, as well as health researchers who seek information on lead poisoning prevention in Illinois.
In 1993, state-mandated screening for childhood lead poisoning in children 6 years of age and younger began. Illinois began statewide childhood lead screening in 1993 for children 6 years of age and younger.
As of December 31, 2024:
- 4.79 million blood lead tests have been conducted
- These tests represent approximately 2.9 million children
More than 200,000 children are tested each year.
