The Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] has expanded its statewide list of ZIP codes considered high risk for lead exposure, with four of them belonging to communities in McLean County.
Heyworth (61745), LeRoy (61752), Lexington (61753) and Towanda (61776) are among the 148 ZIP codes that have been added to the statewide lead testing list. Twenty ZIP codes in McLean County now have the high-risk designation, including 61701 that covers much of Bloomington.
More than 85% of the state’s ZIP codes are now considered high risk following the latest update.
High-risk designations require mandatory lead exposure testing for children ages 1-3 who reside in the area. Children under age 6 have to be assessed for lead exposure through a questionnaire that pediatricians administer.
"There is no safe level of lead in the blood," IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release. "To better serve our children and build brighter futures for all of our residents. IDPH is acting to ensure that more children have access to the testing and interventions necessary to decrease the potential serious physical and developmental health concerns linked to lead exposure."
There are several risk factors that go into determining an area as high risk, according to the IDPH. The list of ZIP codes has been increasing steadily as Illinois plans to implement universal testing statewide by 2026.
