Get The Facts

Childhood lead poisoning is considered the most preventable environmental disease among young children, yet thousands of children are lead poisoned each year across the United States. This includes Marion County. Marion County is listed among the many high-risk zip codes.

Marion Public Health is committed to reducing the number of children with elevated blood lead levels. With the help of ODH and its statewide partners, lead poisoning awareness education, blood lead testing surveillance, monitoring of the licensed professional industry, direct services to affected families, and administration of lead hazard control funding to control lead hazards in homes are provided to Marion residents.

While the prevalence of confirmed elevated blood lead levels among tested Ohio children has declined significantly during the past 20 years, much work remains to be done in Marion to eliminate lead hazards and continue to reduce the number of children lead poisoned each year.

Lead Testing Requirements (pdf)
Read the Newsletter (pdf)
 
 
 
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Concerned Parents can call ODH Hotline, 1-877-532-3723

Protect your kids from Lead Paint

Get Your Home Tested

Children can be exposed to lead in many ways, but most exposure happens when children put things into their mouths while playing. Lead was used in house paint until 1978, and any house built before that year could have lead paint. Chips from this paint can be ingested or ground into dust, which can be eaten or inhaled. Lead can also be found in soil, water, and certain items that come from other countries. Many children with lead poisoning have no signs at first, which makes it hard to diagnose and treat their poisoning early.

There is no known safe level of lead in the body. The effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected or reversed, and even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. Not every child will experience the same outcome for the same blood lead level. In addition to amount and length of exposure, factors influencing how lead will affect a child include individual genetic differences, timing of exposure, and presence of protective factors such as nutrition.

 

Concerned Parents can call ODH Hotline, 1-877-532-3723

House Checklist (pdf)
Lead Throughout The House (pdf)
Find Lead Safe Housing
heatmap of where lead can be found throughout a house
Led is Dangerous, get kids tested

Get Your Child Tested

Ohio law requires all healthcare providers to administer blood lead tests to children at ages 1 and 2, or up to age 6 if no previous test has been completed based on the following criteria: the child is on Medicaid, live in a high-risk ZIP code, or has certain other risk factors. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) offers a range of information and resources here about childhood lead poisoning for healthcare providers, including a summary of Ohio’s child lead testing requirements, medical management recommendations for children receiving blood lead tests, prenatal risk assessment for lead, a lead poisoning desk reference guide, and identification and management of lead exposure in pregnant and lactating women.

If your child tests positive you can receive education, cleaning kits when available, and referrals from Marion Public Health.

Concerned Parents can call ODH Hotline, 1-877-532-3723

Click here to read about staying lead-free!

Data from Ohio Public Health Data Warehouse

Elevated Blood Lead Levels among Marion Children

Confirmed Elevated Blood Lead Levels 2016-2023

Elevated Blood Lead Level Test Completed among Marion Children

Confirmed Blood Lead Level Test 2016-2023