Table 2.

US population estimates of BLLs above the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention level of concern (>5 µg/dL) in early life by age in 2015

Birth cohort	Age in 2015	Population estimates > 5 µg/dL*	Percentage of population > 5 µg/dL*	Margin of error (80% confidence)	Total population
2011–2015	0–4	287,292	1.4	67,586	19,895,276
2006–2010	5–9	588,995	2.9	93,538	20,495,848
2001–2005	10–14	1,275,797	6.2	122,263	20,634,930
1996–2000	15–19	2,752,836	13.1	266,359	21,066,962
1991–1995	20–24	5,415,971	23.8	298,058	22,771,013
1986–1990	25–29	8,216,431	37.0	289,680	22,180,549
1981–1985	30–34	15,639,814	72.5	246,715	21,563,585
1976–1980	35–39	19,886,968	99.0	100,549	20,088,551
1971–1975	40–44	20,330,987	100.0	755,208	20,330,987
1966–1970	45–49	20,792,166	100.0	775,766	20,792,166
1961–1965	50–54	21,733,732	97.1	403,448	22,380,634
1956–1960	55–59	20,242,589	93.7	341,126	21,595,615
1951–1955	60–64	16,813,082	89.6	301,423	18,769,228
1946–1950	65–69	9,834,514	62.8	225,690	15,663,276
1940–1945	70–74	6,653,362	50.9	152,093	13,061,780

*The total population in 2015 was 318,479,402.

Estimates of early life BLLs by birth cohort. Exposure to elevated BLLs follows a “U”-shaped association with relatively low BLLs for cohorts born in the 1940s, increased dramatically for cohorts now middle aged, and decreased dramatically among younger cohorts.