About Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention

The Tennessee Lead Poisoning Prevention Program provides case management, local outreach and education, public health lead investigations (requires program approval), and lead data.

Lead is a naturally occurring element in our environment. When ingested, it can damage nearly every system in the human body and has harmful effects on both adults and children. It is a serious environmental public health threat to children in Tennessee. 

The Tennessee Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (TNCLPPP) promotes the prevention of lead poisoning in children and links lead-poisoned children from birth through 6 years (72 months) of age to recommended services. The program assists family members, medical care providers and other community members to reduce and prevent lead poisoning. TNCLPPP recognizes that children under the age of 3 years (36 months) are at greatest risk for lead poisoning.  

This program is funded by the Maternal Child Health Block Grant and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts in Tennessee. TNCLPPP receives all blood lead laboratory reports on Tennessee resident children and contributes to the national database on lead poisoning. The program also promotes the national lead poisoning prevention guidelines set forth by the CDC.