Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance -- United States,
Fourth Quarter 1994
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. Blood lead data from laboratory reports are
transmitted to state-based lead surveillance programs and are
compiled by NIOSH for quarterly reporting (1).
The total number of elevated blood lead reports for 1994
increased 4% over 1993; this increase is attributed to the
participation of two additional states (North Carolina and
Oklahoma) Table_1. The number of reports in 1994 increased 5%
at
lower BLLs (25-39 ug/dL and 40-49 ug/dL) and decreased 18% at
higher BLLs (50-59 ug/dL and greater than or equal to 60 ug/dL),
compared with the number of reports in 1993.
Since 1988, the number of states with legislation requiring
laboratories and physicians to report elevated BLLs in adults to
state health departments has increased from four to 32. As of this
report, 22 of these 32 states contribute to quarterly national
reporting; 10 others are developing their capacity to report.
Aggregation of state-specific data began in 1992 with 12 states
providing quarterly data (4).
ABLES data have improved understanding of the magnitude of
this public health problem; identified workplace-specific clusters
of overexposures to lead; and resulted in follow-up investigations
leading to either remedial activities by employers (5),
identification of new sources of exposures (6-8), or enforcement
actions by the Oc-cupational Safety and Health Administration (9).
Reported by: JP Lofgren, MD, Alabama Dept of Public Health. C
Fowler, MS, Arizona Dept of Health Svcs. S Payne, MA, Occupational
Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, 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. L Thistle-Elliott, MEd, 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 State Dept of Health. S Randolph,
MSN, North Carolina Dept of Environment, Health, and Natural
Resources. E Rhoades, MD, Oklahoma State 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. D Perrotta, PhD, Bur of Epidemiology, 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. V Ingram-Stewart, MPH, Wisconsin Dept of Health and
Social Svcs. Div of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field
Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
CDC.
References
CDC. Surveillance of elevated blood lead levels among adults --
United States, 1992. MMWR 1992;41:285-8.
CDC. Adult blood lead epidemiology and surveillance -- United
States, fourth quarter, 1993. MMWR 1994;43:246-7.
CDC. Adult blood lead epidemiology and surveillance -- United
States, 1992-1994. MMWR 1994;43:483-5.
CDC. Elevated blood lead levels in adults -- United States,
second
quarter, 1992. MMWR 1992;41:715-6.
CDC. Control of excessive lead exposure in radiator repair
workers. MMWR 1991;40:139-41.
CDC. Lead intoxication associated with chewing plastic wire
coating -- Ohio. MMWR 1993; 42:465-7.
CDC. Lead poisoning among sandblasting workers -- Galveston,
Texas, March 1994. MMWR 1995;44:44-5.
CDC. Controlling lead toxicity in bridge workers -- Connecticut,
1991-1994. MMWR 1995;44: 76-9.
CDC. Lead poisoning among battery reclamation workers --
Alabama,
1991. MMWR 1992; 41:301-4.
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 -- 22 states, * fourth quarter 1994
=====================================================================================================
Cumulative reports, Cumulative reports,
Fourth quarter 1994 fourth quarter 1994 @ fourth quarter 1993 + &
Reported BLL -------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------
(ug/dL) No. reports No. persons @ No. (%) No. (%)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25-39 4,975 2,332 19,399 ( 72) 18,529 ( 72)
40-49 1,393 684 5,806 ( 22) 5,398 ( 21)
50-59 309 168 1,140 ( 4) 1,311 ( 5)
>=60 114 58 459 ( 2) 633 ( 2)
Total 6,791 3,242 26,804 (100) 25,871 (100)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
@ The cumulative number of reports for 1993 and 1994 have been revised in this report from the
number previously reported (2,3). Additional reports for a specific quarter often are received by
states after the quarterly reporting deadlines. These reports are included in the year-end
cumulative totals to reflect updated quarterly reporting.
& Data for first quarter 1993 reported from 17 states (Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin). Data for second through fourth quarters 1993
also include reports from Arizona, California, and Washington.
@ Individual reports are categorized according to the highest reported BLL for a person during the
given quarter. Pennsylvania reports only numbers of reports. Summaries of numbers of persons do
not include Pennsylvania data.
=====================================================================================================
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