Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance -- United States,
Third Quarter, 1993
CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES)
program monitors elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in adults in the
United States. Laboratories report results of testing for BLLs to
state-based lead surveillance programs, and results are compiled
each quarter by NIOSH (1). Twenty states currently report results
to NIOSH (Table_1). Ten additional states (Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North
Carolina, and Oklahoma) are developing the capacity to
systematically collect and/or report elevated BLL data
(Figure_1).
Programs in 30 states now have or are implementing 1) regulations
specifying a reportable BLL in adults; 2) requirements that
laboratories report elevated BLLs to appropriate state agencies; 3)
protocols for investigating reported cases; and 4) mechanisms for
linking case reports with follow-up activities (e.g., educational
efforts and epidemiologic field investigations).
Reports based on data from ABLES have not included analysis of
trends because of the incremental development of the surveillance
system (i.e., yearly addition of participating states) and the
availability of complete data for only 1 year (1992). However, the
availability of data for 1993 will enable analysis of trends for a
2-year period (1992-1993).
Reported by: NH Chowdhury, MPH, Alabama Dept of Public Health. C
Fowler, MS, Arizona Dept of Health Svcs. FJ Mycroft, PhD,
Occupational Health Br, California Dept of Health Svcs. BC Jung,
MPH, Connecticut Dept of Public Health and Addiction Svcs. M
Lehnherr, Occupational Disease Registry, Div of Epidemiologic
Studies, Illinois Dept of Public Health. R Gergely, Iowa Dept of
Public Health. E Keyvan-Larijani, MD, Lead Poisoning Prevention
Program, Maryland Dept of the Environment. R Rabin, MSPH, Div of
Occupational Hygiene, Massachusetts Dept of Labor and Industries.
A Carr, MBA, Bur of Child and Family Svcs, Michigan Dept of Public
Health. D Solet, PhD, Div of Public Health Svcs, New Hampshire
State Dept of Health and Human Svcs. B Gerwel, MD, Occupational
Disease Prevention Project, New Jersey State Dept of Health. R
Stone, PhD, New York Dept of Health. M Barnett, MS, State Health
Div, Oregon Dept of Human Resources. J Gostin, MS, Occupational
Health Program, Div of Environmental Health, Pennsylvania Dept of
Health. R Marino, MD, Div of Health Hazard Evaluations, South
Carolina Dept of Health and Environmental Control. DM Perrotta,
PhD, Environmental Epidemiologist, Texas Dept of Health. D
Beaudoin, MD, Bur of Epidemiology, Utah Dept of Health. L Toof, Div
of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Vermont Dept of Health. J
Kaufman, MD, Washington State Dept of Labor and Industries. D
Higgins, Wisconsin Dept of Health and Social Svcs. Div of
Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.
Reference
CDC. Surveillance of elevated blood lead levels among adults --
United States, 1992. MMWR 1992;41:285-8.
Table_1 Note:
To print large tables and graphs users may have to change their printer settings to landscape and use a small font size.
TABLE 1. Reports of elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in adults -- 20 states, * third
quarter, 1993
===================================================================================================
Third quarter, 1993
Reported BLL --------------------------- Cumulative Cumulative
(ug/dL) No. reports No. persons + reports, 1993 & reports, 1992 @
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25-39 3,848 2,358 11,261 9,377
40-49 1,256 706 3,163 2,257
50-59 369 222 788 615
>=60 171 91 411 324
Total 5,644 3,377 15,623 12,573
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
+ Individual reports are based on the highest reported BLL for the person during the given
quarter.
& Data for first quarter 1993 reported from 17 states (Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Penn-
sylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin). Second quarter 1993 reports
are from the 20 states previously described.
@ Cumulative totals for 1992 reflect first-, second-, and third-quarter data from 17 states (Ala-
bama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin).
===================================================================================================
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