Illinois

The burden of childhood lead poisoning in Illinois remains one of the highest in the nation. Of the approximately 229,000 children who received a blood lead test in Illinois in 2017, more than 7,000 had a blood lead level (BLL) at or above 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL).

In 2017, the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH), in conjunction with the Governor’s Task Force on Children and Youth, began an effort to revise the Lead Poisoning Prevention Code (LPPC) to adopt the CDC blood lead reference value of 5 µg/dL. This purpose of this revision was to help the IDPH to identify more children with lead poisoning, allowing doctors and public health officials to act earlier to reduce the child’s exposure to lead.

IDPH drafted edits to the LPPC, including the adoption of 5 µg/dL for case management and environmental investigation follow-up services. In August 2018, the LPPC was published in the Illinois Register and began its first 45-day public comment period which offers the public the ability to offer feedback. IDPH received and responded to over 80 public comments and modified the LPPC as necessary. A second public comment period occurred in October 2018. With few additional comments, the LPPC moved to the Illinois Judicial Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for hearing.

In February 2019, JCAR officially approved and promulgated the revised LPPC. Children with BLLs at or above 5 µg/dL receive a home visit from a public health nurse to educate families on ways to lower the BLL and reduce lead exposure, including proper nutrition, hygiene, and housekeeping.