Healthy Kids Minnesota is a biomonitoring program that measures chemicals in children throughout the state. For more information, visit our Healthy Kids Minnesota FAQs. If you are a family member receiving your child’s results and would like to compare their levels to more results, visit Explanation of Results. We also provide you with Healthy Kids MN: Information for Health Care Providers.

Chemicals measured

Healthy Kids Minnesota measures urine levels of more than 70 chemicals in six categories:

Metals in drinking water, air pollution, and some foods and products.
Pesticides in agriculture and to control pests in and around the home.
Environmental phenols in personal care products, toys, and some foods.
Phthalates in personal care products, toys, and some foods.
Flame retardants in household products like furniture and toys.
Air pollution markers (PAHs) in air pollution from industry and vehicles, smoking, eating some foods, and fires/smoke.

Information sheets for each type of chemical in English, Hmong, Karen, Somali, and Spanish

Additional resources and links

Antimony

Antimony occurs in the environment naturally and from human activities. Small amounts are in food, drinking water, and air. Levels in air may be higher in urban areas due to emissions from transportation sources and industry. Antimony is also found in certain products like flame retardants for plastics and fabrics, and a kind of plastic called PET used in food and drink containers.

Arsenic

Arsenic is naturally found in rocks and soil. Human activities like mining, use of fossil fuels, and past use of pesticides and wood preservatives add arsenic to the environment.

Arsenic can be found in:

Foods including rice and fruit juice.
Foods with rice-based ingredients, such as some cereals or infant formulas.
Arsenic levels in private wells may be a health concern. See: Water Quality/Well Testing/Well Disinfection.
Some outdoor wood structures like decks or play equipment built before 2004 and are not cedar or redwood.

Arsenic resources:

Cadmium

Cadmium is found naturally in the environment. There are tiny amounts of cadmium in all foods, which is the biggest source of cadmium exposure for children.

Cadmium is found in:

Shellfish and organ meats, like liver or kidney, contain more cadmium than other foods.
Occasionally found in paints, glazes, and herbal or dietary supplements.
Cadmium is a component of tobacco smoke. Smoking inside the home or car may expose children to cadmium.

Cadmium resources:

Chromium

Chromium is found naturally in the environment, food, water but is also released from industrial use and disposal of chromium-based products. There are two main forms of chromium. Chromium (III) is an essential nutrient at low doses and occurs naturally in food. Chromium (VI) is a by-product of industrial use and is considered the most toxic.

Chromium is found in:

Food (many vegetables, fruits, meats, grains) is the main source of children’s exposure to chromium.
Some dietary supplements.
Tobacco smoke. Smoking inside the home or car may expose children.
Workers in industries that use chromium (such as welders, chrome platers) can bring home dust from the worksite on clothes, shoes, and hair, which may expose children.

Chromium resources:

Chromium | ToxFAQs™ (PDF)

Cobalt

Cobalt is naturally occurring and part of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient. It is also released from human activities such as coal-fired power plants and incinerators, vehicle exhaust, and industrial activities relating to the mining and processing of ores.

Cobalt is found in:

Cobalt can also be found in some consumer products such as paint, candles, and tungsten carbide tools used for drilling, cutting, and grinding hard materials.

Cobalt resources:

Lead

Lead testing was not a part of the Healthy Kids Minnesota project. The best test for lead is a blood test and Healthy Kids used urine samples.

More information on lead and ways to reduce exposure can be found here:

Manganese

Manganese is found naturally in water, food, and air. It is an essential nutrient at low levels. Children get enough manganese to meet nutritional needs from eating foods like whole grains, nuts, and leafy vegetables. Manganese from the diet is not a health concern because the body naturally processes it.

Manganese is found in:

It is common for manganese to be found at levels of health concern in drinking water that comes from groundwater sources.
High manganese levels in drinking water is a particular concern for infants that are fed powdered formula mixed with the water.
Manganese is also used in welding/industries. It can be brought home on clothes or other surfaces, exposing children.

Manganese resources:

Mercury

Mercury is naturally occurring in rocks, soil, water, food and, air. Mining and industrial activities such as burning coal and processing taconite release additional mercury into the environment. Mercury used to be more common in some products like switches, thermometers, but these uses are less common now. Mercury is still commonly found in some products, such as fluorescent lights. If one of these products break, mercury can be released into the air.

Mercury exposure:

Some traditional medicines and skin lightening creams imported from outside the U.S. can contain high levels of mercury. Use of these products can harm children, even if they are not the ones in the home using them.
Mercury comes in different forms. The form of mercury mostly found in your child’s urine test tells us about their exposure from things like skin lightening and other beauty products, and thermometers. The urine test does not tell us about your child’s exposure to the type of mercury in fish.
Children can be exposed to mercury by eating certain fish and shellfish. Larger, predatory fish in Minnesota, such as bass, walleye, and northern pike, tend to have higher levels of mercury.

Mercury resources:

Molybdenum

Molybdenum is an essential nutrient in the diet. The most common exposure source for children is food. Molybdenum is also used as an additive in metal alloys. Higher levels may be found in the air near industries that process or release it and near mining operations.

Molybdenum resources:

Nickel

Nickel is naturally occurring in rocks, soil, water, air and living things. Food is a major source of nickel exposure. Nickel and nickel compounds have many industrial and commercial uses and can be used in welding.

Nickel exposure:

Keep children away from welding fumes and other metal vapors and dusts. It is also released to air from combustion of fossil fuels.
Some inexpensive or costume jewelry is plated with nickel or made from nickel alloys. Children can be exposed to dangerous levels from sucking on or swallowing nickel plated/nickel alloy jewelry.
It is also fairly common for nickel to cause an allergic skin reactions.

Nickel resources:

Nickel | ToxFAQs™

Thallium

Thallium is naturally-occurring and tiny amounts are found in most foods. Thallium is also released to air from coal-burning, smelting, cement manufacturing, and cigarette smoke.

Thallium resources:

Tungsten

Tungsten exists naturally in the environment. It is also used in certain industries, and products, such as tungsten carbide tools and flame retardants for fabrics.

Tungsten resources:

Uranium

Uranium is a weakly radioactive metal that part of a group of metals called radionuclides. It is naturally found in food, water, and air. Industries involved in mining, milling, and processing of uranium can also release it into the environment. However, there is no uranium mining or processing in Minnesota. No community water systems in Minnesota have exceeded the limit allowed in drinking water.

Uranium resources:

Chlorpyrifos/Chlorpyrifos-methyl