At a glance
Childhood lead poisoning is preventable. In the United States, the major source of lead exposure among children is lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust found in buildings built before 1978. No safe level of lead exposure has been identified.
We Track That
Older homes can have peeling or chipping lead-based paint and high levels of lead-contaminated dust. Living in an older home is one risk factor that can contribute to higher blood lead levels in children. Having measures for blood lead levels (BLLs) and a measure for age of housing together on the Tracking Network can help assess testing within areas of high risk.
Types of Data
uses census data to provide information about the number of homes built before 1950 and homes built from 1950-1979. Census data do not account for the number of older houses that have been renovated or have had lead removed. This indicator does not consider other sources of lead in the community.
Access the Data
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Data in Action
Tracking children with lead poisoning and sources of lead can help with the following actions.
- Identifying children at risk
- Targeting testing and resources
- Connecting children with elevated blood lead levels to services
- Monitoring progress towards eliminating childhood lead poisoning
- Identifying and monitoring trends in sources of lead
- Removing and reducing sources of lead
- Developing and evaluating lead poisoning interventions and programs