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ILLINOIS (WCIA) — The Illinois Department of Public Health announced on Tuesday that lead exposure testing is now required for children in 180 additional ZIP codes in the state.
In Illinois, any child living in a “high-risk” ZIP code must be tested for lead exposure at 12 and 24 months. Additionally, all children six years old and younger are assessed through a questionnaire with a healthcare provider. The IDPH said children who have other risk categories, specified in the questionnaire, are also tested.
High-risk ZIP codes are determined through several different factors, according to the IDPH. The health organization has been growing their list gradually, and after 180 ZIP codes were added on Tuesday, the total number of high-risk ZIP codes now sits at more than 1,350.
These ZIP codes are located in 47 Illinois counties including:
- Champaign
- Effingham
- Macon
- Menard
- Piatt
- Sangamon
You can find the full list on the IDPH’s website.
“IDPH is committed to building brighter futures for our children and families,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “This latest expansion of lead testing list brings us closer to achieving the ambitious goal of universal statewide testing. There is no safe level of lead in the blood. Early detection and intervention are critical tools to help protect Illinois’s kids from the serious health and developmental challenges caused from lead exposure.”
If a child’s blood tests positive for lead over a certain level, Illinois law requires that a public health official investigates to determine where the contamination is coming from. If lead is found in the home, the inspector will help the homeowner remove it. A healthcare worker will also help to educate the family on how to protect children from lead exposure.
Lead poisoning is the most common environmental illness in children. It can damage the brain, nervous system, growth and development and lead to learning disabilities. You can learn more about lead exposure, as well as ways to prevent it on the IDPH’s website.
The IDPH said they plan to implement universal childhood lead testing in the remaining ZIP codes in the state by this time next year.
