Testing Kids For Lead Poisoning Declined During Pandemic
25% reduction in lead tests in state compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The number of tests used to detect lead poisoning in Wisconsin children declined substantially during the pandemic, especially among groups most likely to be exposed to lead in drinking water or from paint in older homes.
Fewer doctor visits during the pandemic led to a 25 percent decline in lead tests compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to state health officials. There is no safe level of lead exposure, which can cause damage to the brain and learning delays.
“We see a concentration of lead poisoning in cities like Milwaukee, in cities where we have housing stock pre-1978 and also housing stock that is not kept up where you see chipping, peeling paint,” Weaver said Thursday in interview on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Morning Show.”
The problem also affects rural areas, he said.
Children in Vernon, Sheboygan, Rusk, Jefferson and Rock counties had similarly high rates of lead poisoning compared to Milwaukee. However, Weaver said every county in Wisconsin had a child under age 6 who has tested positive for lead in the past 25 years.
More than half of children in the United States are at risk of lead exposure — often in their own home, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lead poisoning has been a serious problem in Wisconsin for decades with now banned lead paint being the primary source. But lead pipes carrying drinking water can also be a source.
President Joe Biden visited Ohio in February to push for removal of lead pipes, part of a bipartisan infrastructure plan. The Biden administration wants to replace all lead water pipes and service lines in the nation within the next decade.
Both the state and federal governments have tried to draw attention and provide funds to replace lead water mains.
In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Bloomer to announce the city would receive nearly $28 million in loans and grants to help Bloomer replace 4.6 miles of lead water main pipe and other aging sewer infrastructure.
Listen to the WPR report here.
Fewer Wisconsin kids have been tested for lead poisoning during the pandemic was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
More about the Lead Crisis
- Gov. Evers, DHS Continue Administration’s Efforts to Combat Lead Poisoning Statewide with Permanent Rule - Gov. Tony Evers - May 27th, 2025
- RFK Jr. Claims ‘Team’ Is In Milwaukee Helping With Lead Crisis, Health Department Can’t Find Them - Nick Rommel - May 22nd, 2025
- MPS Announces Starms Early Childhood Center Is Cleared of Lead Dangers - Milwaukee Public Schools - May 21st, 2025
- Milwaukee Has Removed 10,000 Lead Laterals - Graham Kilmer - May 13th, 2025
- New MPS Superintendent Cutting Central Office Jobs - Corrinne Hess - May 8th, 2025
- MTEA Statement on Lead Exposure in MPS Buildings - Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association - Apr 30th, 2025
- Statement from Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez on Lead Hazards in MPS Buildings - Sup. Juan Miguel Martinez - Apr 29th, 2025
- MPS Closing Two More Schools For Lead Hazards - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 28th, 2025
- Milwaukee Public Schools Enters New Phase of Lead Cleanup - Milwaukee Public Schools - Apr 28th, 2025
- What To Know and How To Keep Kids Safe From Lead Poisoning - Evan Casey - Apr 25th, 2025
Read more about Lead Crisis here