An elevated blood lead level (EBLL) is a blood lead test value at or above the blood lead reference value (BLRV) set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An EBLL is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or higher. Most adults (97.5%) have blood lead levels below 3.5 µ/dL.

People can swallow lead particles in dust, soil and drinking water. Lead can accumulate in the body, which can cause health problems. For more information on lead, visit MI Lead Safe - Learn About Lead.

Work-Related

Lead exposure risk in adults most often occurs at work, especially in industries like construction, manufacturing and recycling, where lead-containing materials are used or handled. Construction workers may be exposed to lead dust when removing old paint or renovating older buildings. Manufacturing jobs involving batteries, metal recycling and brass or bronze fixtures can also expose workers to lead.

Firearms and Bullets

Firearm activities that have lead exposure risk include:

• Shooting at indoor firing ranges with ammunition that contains lead primers or bullets.
• Firing guns or bullet retrievals causing lead fumes in the air or settling of particles on surfaces.
• Casting or reloading bullets at home.
• Having retained bullet fragments from a gunshot wound.
• Eating venison that has been shot with a lead bullet.

Remodeling

Lead exposure risk isn’t limited to the workplace. At home, exposure can occur during renovations of homes built before 1978 due to lead-based paint. During remodeling, old lead paint may become lead-contaminated dust leading to exposure.

Household Items and Goods

Lead might be found in products you have in your home. These items include:

• Painted toys and furniture, especially older toys and furniture.
• Toy jewelry.
• Cosmetics (makeup).
• Plumbing products like pipes and fixtures.
• Cookware including food or liquid containers made of lead crystal, lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.
• Dietary supplements.
• Traditional (folk) medicines.
• Herbal remedies.
• Imported spices, including Sindoor (India/Middle East), Tumeric (India), Lozeena (Iraq) and Balguti (India).
• Cosmetic powders.

Stained Glass

Using lead-containing solder while working with stained glass can be a lead exposure risk.

Depending on the amount of exposure, lead can cause different health problems including:

Lower levels:

• Altered mood and behavior.
• Decreased kidney function.
• Decreased cognitive function.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Slower reaction times.

Higher levels (along with the health effects listed above):

• Anemia.
• Delayed conception.
• Increased risk of heart disease.
• Muscle weakness or soreness.
• Poor sperm and semen quality.
• Severe stomachache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or constipation.

Lead exposure is preventable. If you suspect lead in your home, water or workplace, take steps to reduce or eliminate exposure risk.

Some ways to prevent lead exposure by type are:

Work-Related

• Do not eat or drink in areas that use lead.
• Shower and do not wear your work clothes/shoes home.
• Use engineering controls and ventilation to reduce air levels and contamination of surfaces. Respirators may be needed if engineering controls are not enough.
• Train employees on the correct handling of lead products.
• Provide lead education to employees.
• Follow the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) Lead Standards, including requirements for education, showers, separate lunchroom and lockers, engineering controls and medical testing including measuring your blood lead levels and medical removal from exposure if:
  • Your average blood lead over six months is greater or equal to 20 µg/dL.
  • Or a single value is greater or equal to 30 µg/dL.

Firearms and Bullets:

• Use lead-free ammunition.
• At indoor firing ranges:
  • Use ventilation and respirators while cleaning the bullet traps.
  • Wear protective clothing and respirators.
  • Use High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuums. Never use a broom for cleaning.
  • Control exposure through sufficient ventilation at the range to capture lead fumes and provide clean air to the range.
  • Prohibit eating, drinking and smoking at the range.
• Follow MDHHS recommendations for removing or reducing lead fragments in your venison.
  • When eating venison shot with lead bullets, try using whole cuts of venison, like steaks and chops, rather than ground meat. Ground venison tends to have more lead fragments.

Drinking Water

MDHHS recommends that Michigan households use a certified lead-reducing drinking water filter if your home has or if you are uncertain if it has one of the following:

• Lead or galvanized plumbing.
• A lead service line carrying water from the street to their residence.
• Old faucets and fittings that were sold before 2014.

Use the filter until you are able to remove sources of household lead plumbing, such as:

• Replace pre-2014 faucets.
• Get a lead inspection and replace needed plumbing.

Maintain Your Drinking Water

Below are tips that everyone can use to help maintain your home’s drinking water quality.

• You can keep water moving by doing everyday activities, such as:
  • Running a load of laundry.
  • Washing dishes.
  • Taking a shower.
  • Flushing toilets.
• Clean the aerators on faucets at least once every six months to remove trapped debris. Follow this online guide to learn more: Cleaning Your Aerators.
  • In Spanish: Limpiando sus aireadores.
• Before using the water from any faucet for drinking or cooking, run the cold water until it goes from room temperature to cold. 

For more information on lead, visit MDHHS - Mi Lead Safe - Get Ahead of Lead.

Lead is an invisible threat that is found throughout our environment. A blood lead test can tell you if you or your loved ones have recent or ongoing exposures to lead. A blood lead test cannot tell you whether you or your loved ones had exposures in the past. A blood lead test is a test that measures the amount of lead in the blood.

The most reliable test is done by drawing blood from a vein, which is called a venous test. Some health providers and clinics do a test with blood drawn from your finger (capillary test). If your blood lead is elevated on a capillary test it needs to be confirmed with a venous test. Talk to your doctor if you are at risk or have concerns.

The main treatment for an elevated blood lead level is to remove the person from the lead exposure. This allows the body to clear the lead. In rare cases, adults may require a medication to remove lead from the body. This process is called chelation therapy.

MiTracking Adult Lead Exposure Measures

• Number of adults (age 16 and older) with a blood lead test result of ≥5 µg/dL and ≥25 µg/dL (all years combined).
• Number of adults (age 16 and older) with a blood lead test result of ≥5 µg/dL and ≥25 µg/dL (5-year aggregates).
• Number of adults (age 16 and older) with a blood lead test result of ≥3.5 µg/dL (2-year aggregate, 2022-most recent year available).

MiTracking Adult Lead Exposure Data Can Tell Us

• On a statewide basis, the number of adults with blood lead levels (≥5 µg/dL and ≥25 µg/dL) by 5-year groups.
• On a statewide and county basis, the number of elevated blood lead levels (≥3.5 µg/dL, 5 µg/dL and ≥25 µg/dL) all years combined, by age group, sex and type of exposure.

MiTracking Adult Lead Exposure Data Cannot Tell Us

• The total number of adults with elevated blood lead levels since not all people with lead exposure are tested.
• The cost, effect, result or consequence of lead exposure.
• The place of lead exposure.

Find Out More

Data from the Michigan Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program were used to create this dataset. ABLES is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). ABLES is a joint project of the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Human Medicine’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) Division and MDHHS.

For more data information, visit:

• About These Data (found on the data portal after a query search).
• Metadata (technical information about the content, quality and context of the data).

Michigan

MDHHS

• Mi Lead Safe.
  • Get Ahead of Lead.
    • How Lead Gets into Drinking Water (Video).
    • Lead in Drinking Water Safety Tips (Video).
  • Blood Lead Testing.
• Eat Safe Wild Game.
  • Lead in Venison.

MIOSHA

Lead.

MSU OEM

Homepage.

• Lead Hazards at Indoor Fire Ranges (Brochure).
• Lead Hazards from Casting and Reloading (Brochure).
• Work Related Injuries and Illnesses.

Other

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

• Toxic Substances Portal: Lead.

CDC

• NIOSH.
  • ABLES.

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)

• Management Guidelines for Blood Lead Levels in Adults.

EPA

• Lead.
  • Safe Renovations for DIYers.

National Institutes of Health

• National Toxicology Program
  • Health Effects of Low-Lead Level.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

• Protecting Workers from Lead Hazards at Indoor Firing Ranges (Fact sheet).