Blood Lead Levels in Children

Blood Lead Levels in Children is the proportion of 1 and 2 year olds that have been tested and have lead levels over 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood between 2011 and 2013. A high proportion of neighborhood children with high blood levels equates to low community health. Neighborhoods that had less than 50 children tested between 2011 and 2013 are not included. Data on lead levels in children are collected by the Minneapolis Health Department Lead and Healthy Homes Unit.

Childhood lead exposure is a critical public health issue. Long-term exposure to high blood lead levels can affect muscle coordination, and damage the nervous system, kidneys and/or hearing. Children whose health has been harmed by lead can suffer permanent effects that continue into adulthood. Blood Lead Levels in Children is in the Housing domain.

Neighborhood Indicator Value Ranksort ascending
Hawthorne 12.9% 78
East Isles 11.3% 77
Lowry Hill East 9.8% 75
Central 9.8% 75
East Phillips 9.0% 74
Jordan 8.7% 73
Ventura Village 7.4% 72
Cooper 6.9% 70
Powderhorn Park 6.9% 70
Folwell 6.8% 69
Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG) 6.7% 68
Willard - Hay 6.5% 67
Lyndale 6.4% 66
Audubon Park 6.3% 65
King Field 6.2% 63
Midtown Phillips 6.2% 63
Bancroft 6.1% 62
Webber - Camden 5.8% 58
Near - North 5.8% 58
Steven's Square - Loring Heights 5.8% 58
North Loop 5.8% 58
McKinley 5.6% 57
Standish 5.5% 55
Corcoran 5.5% 55
Logan Park 5.3% 54
Downtown West 5.0% 53
Downtown East 4.9% 51
Phillips West 4.9% 51
Columbia Park 4.8% 50
Howe 4.6% 49
Fulton 4.5% 45
Regina 4.5% 45
Lowry Hill 4.5% 45
Longfellow 4.5% 45
Victory 4.4% 44
Cleveland 4.2% 43
Seward 4.1% 42
Whittier 4.0% 41
Holland 3.8% 40
Bottineau 3.6% 36
Windom Park 3.6% 36
Northeast Park 3.6% 36
Morris Park 3.6% 36
Sheridan 3.5% 34
Hiawatha 3.5% 34
Harrison 3.4% 33
East Harriet 3.3% 32
Bryant 3.2% 31
Tangletown 3.0% 30
Northrop 2.9% 29
Lynnhurst 2.5% 28
Page 2.4% 26
Beltrami 2.4% 26
Lind - Bohanon 2.3% 25
Keewaydin 2.2% 23
Windom 2.2% 23
Loring Park 2.1% 22
St. Anthony East 2.0% 20
Sumner - Glenwood (Heritage Park) 2.0% 20
Linden Hills 1.9% 18
Cedar Riverside 1.9% 18
Waite Park 1.7% 17
Kenny 1.6% 15
Como 1.6% 15
Wenonah 1.5% 14
Marcy Holmes 1.4% 12
Shingle Creek 1.4% 12
Marshall Terrace 1.3% 11
Hale 1.2% 9
St. Anthony West 1.2% 9
Prospect Park - East River Road 1.1% 8
Diamond Lake 1.0% 7
Minnehaha 0.9% 6
Armatage 0.7% 5
Ericsson 0.4% 3
Elliot Park 0.4% 3
Bryn - Mawr 0.0% 1
Field 0.0% 1
University of Minnesota -% -
West Calhoun -% -
Humboldt Industrial Area -% -
Kenwood -% -
Camden Industrial -% -
Cedar - Isles - Dean -% -
Nicollet Island - East Bank -% -
East Calhoun (ECCO) -% -
Mid - City Industrial -% -

Key Citations:
1. Asthma Community Network, Program at a Glance: New York State Department of Health, Center for Environmental Health, Healthy Neighborhoods Program. Accessed August 30, 2013. Available at: Asthma Community Network

2. Gould E. Childhood lead poisoning: conservative estimates of the social and economic benefits of lead hazard control. Environmental Health Perspective. 2009;117(7):1162–1167.

3. Trasande L and Liu Y. Reducing the staggering costs of environmental disease in children, estimated at $76.6 billion in 2008. Health Affairs. 2011; 30 (5): 863–869.

4. Jusko TA, Henderson CR, Lanphear BP, Cory-Slechta DA, Parsons PJ, Canfield RL. Blood lead Concentrations. Environ. Health Perspect. 2008;116(2):243–248.

5. Mazumdar M, Bellinger DC, Gregas M, Abanilla K, Bacic J, Needleman HL. Low-level environmental lead exposure in childhood and adult intellectual function: a follow-up study. Environ Health. 2011;10:24.

6. Bellinger DC, Stiles KM, Needleman HL. Low-level lead exposure, intelligence and academic achievement: a long term follow-up study. Pediatrics. 1992;90(6):855–861.