What blood lead level is considered elevated in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania follows CDC guidelines, defining elevated blood lead as 3.5 micrograms per deciliter or higher in children. Even levels below this threshold warrant attention. Your child's doctor can explain what their specific level means.

How do I get my child tested for lead in Pennsylvania?

Ask your pediatrician for a blood lead test. Children on Medicaid are required to be screened. If you don't have a regular doctor, contact your county health department or local health clinic for free testing options.

Does Pennsylvania test water for lead?

Yes—water utilities test lead service lines and plumbing under the Safe Drinking Water Act. But a water test and a blood test measure different things. A blood test directly shows whether your child has absorbed lead from any source.

Where can I find blood lead data for my county?

Contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health and Occupational Safety, to request county-level surveillance data. You can also ask your county health department for local trends and testing rates.

Childhood Blood Lead Levels in Pennsylvania

Why blood lead testing matters

A child's blood lead level is the most direct measure of lead exposure. Unlike water testing, which tells you whether lead could reach your tap, a blood test shows whether your child has actually absorbed lead—from water, dust, paint, or soil.

Pennsylvania tracks these levels through its childhood blood lead surveillance program. This data helps identify neighborhoods and communities where children face higher exposure risk, and where intervention is most needed.

Pennsylvania's screening program

Pennsylvania requires blood lead testing for children enrolled in Medicaid and for those aged 1–2 through public health clinics. The state's Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health and Occupational Safety oversees lead surveillance and maintains county-level data on children with elevated blood lead levels (defined as 3.5 micrograms per deciliter or higher, per CDC guidelines).

Testing rates and results vary significantly by county. Some Pennsylvania counties have well-established screening programs; others have lower testing coverage, which can mask the true picture of lead exposure in those areas.

How to access Pennsylvania's data

The Pennsylvania Department of Health publishes surveillance summaries and responds to data requests through its lead program office. You can:

Contact the Bureau of Environmental Health and Occupational Safety directly for current county-level percentages of children with elevated blood lead levels
Request data specific to your zip code or municipality
Ask about Medicaid testing coverage in your area

Blood lead data is often published with a lag (typically 12–18 months), so the most recent available numbers may reflect exposure from 1–2 years prior.

What elevated levels mean

If your child has been tested and shows an elevated blood lead level, your pediatrician or local health department should discuss next steps. The CDC provides guidance on home assessment, dietary intervention, and follow-up testing.

Pennsylvania's lead program can also help connect families to resources, including home inspection and remediation programs if lead paint or plumbing are the suspected source.

Next steps for residents

Ask your pediatrician whether your child should be tested for blood lead, especially if you live in an older home or neighborhood
Contact your county health department to find free or low-cost testing clinics
Request your county's data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to understand local exposure trends
If a test is elevated, work with your pediatrician and local health department on next steps—do not delay

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Childhood blood lead surveillance data in Pennsylvania