The Illinois Department of Public Health has now listed all 11 zip codes in Marion County as high-risk for high lead exposure to children.
Marion County Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow says Salem, Kell, and Vernon have been added effective July 1st. She reports that means all children in the county at age one and two will be tested for high lead levels in their blood. Mallow says the department will then investigate the cause of any high lead levels found in their blood.
“She educates the family about what possible exposure to lead could be happening in the house. What they should do to lessen the exposure to their children. And then also a state inspector will come in and take samples from various spots in the home to find out where the child is coming in contact with that lead. So then remedies can be taken at home to help the children to limit their contact with lead.”
Mallow says the good news is children will recover from the high lead level.
“The body over time will heal itself. There will be no more continued cognitive issue for that child.”
During the just completed fiscal year that ended June 30th, the Marion County Health Department completed 539 lead draws and found 12 high lead cases that were then followed by the health department. In the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2023 there had been 223 lead draws and four high lead cases and in the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2022 there were 199 lead draws with nine high lead cases found.
The state also added additional zip codes requiring the lead testing in other counties across South Central Illinois as well. 150 zip codes were added statewide.
