Childhood Lead Exposure

These charts show the percent of children with an elevated blood lead level in Minnesota, both statewide and for 3 different regions within the state. Children living within the city limits of Minneapolis or St. Paul are at a higher risk for lead exposure and MDH has historically recommended that these children receive blood lead testing at 1 and 2 years of age.

The annual percent of children under 6 years that are tested for blood lead in Minnesota has increased over time to about 23% in recent years. Testing coverage rates vary slightly across regions: those percentages are slightly higher in the 7-county Twin Cities Metro region and slightly lower in Greater Minnesota. This difference in testing rates aligns with previous guidelines that recommended testing all children living in Minneapolis and St. Paul but only recommended testing children in greater Minnesota if they had risk factors. Current guidelines recommend testing all children at ages 1 and 2.

This chart shows the number of children with an elevated blood lead level for each elevated category, among children under 6 years who were tested. Though very few children test in the highest ranges of blood lead levels, these levels are associated with additional and more severe health effects. However, there is no safe level of lead.

As of 2022, Minnesota guidelines recommend that every child is tested at or around ages 1 and 2 years. Children tested at one year of age should be tested again at two years even if the blood lead level was low at the one-year test since risk behaviors related to lead exposure change as a child develops. In recent years, about 7 in 10 (73%) of children were tested around the time of their 1-year well-child visit and about 6 in 10 (60%) were tested around the time of their 2-year well-child visit.