PHY4.A Lead in the blood of children: Percentage of children ages 1–5 with specified blood lead levels, 1988–1994, 1999–2002, 2003–2006 and 2007

Specified blood lead level	1988–1994	1999–2002	2003–2006	2007–2010
≥ 10 µg/dL	6.3	1.6	0.9*	**
≥5 µg/dL	25.6	8.7	4.1	2.6
≥2.5 µg/dL	61.2	34.0	20.9	13.3
*Estimate is considered unstable (relative standard error is greater than 30 percent but less than 40 percent).
**Estimate is considered unreliable (relative standard error greater than 40 percent).
NOTE: A blood level of 10 µg/dL or greater is considered elevated,¹ but adverse health effects have been shown to occur at lower concentrations.²
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002). Managing elevated blood lead levels among young children: Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. Atlanta, GA. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/CaseManagement/caseManage_main.htm.
² U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2006. Air Quality Criteria for Lead (Final Report). Washington, DC: U.S. EPA, National Center for Environmental Assessment. EPA/600/R-05/144aF-bF. http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/isa/recordisplay.cfm?deid=158823.