Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance -- United States,
Second Quarter, 1996
CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program (ABLES)
monitors laboratory-reported elevated blood lead levels (BLLs)
among adults in the United States. This report presents ABLES data
through the second quarter of 1996 and compares these data with the
second quarter of 1995.
During April 1-June 30, 1996, the 6305 reports of BLLs greater
than or equal to 25 ug/dL represented a 7% decrease from the 6782
reports for the second quarter of 1995 (1), which now include
previously unpublished data for Minnesota and an estimate for Ohio.
For the first 2 quarters of 1996, the number of reports of BLLs
greater than or equal to 25 ug/dL decreased by 9% compared with the
number reported for the first 2 quarters of 1995 (1), which also
include previously unpublished data for Minnesota and an estimate
for Ohio (Table_1). The cumulative number of reports in 1996
decreased at each reporting level compared with data for 1995. This
overall trend of decreasing reports is consistent with the first
quarter report for 1996 (2).
Reported by: JP Lofgren, MD, Alabama Dept of Public Health. K
Schaller, 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. M Lehnherr,
Occupational Disease Registry, Div of Epidemiologic Studies,
Illinois Dept of Public Health. R Gergely, Iowa Dept of Public
Health. A Hawkes, MD, Occupational Health Program, Maine Bur of
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.
M Scoblic, MN, Michigan Dept of Public Health. M Falken, PhD,
Minnesota Dept of 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. A Migliozzi, MSN, Bur of Health Risk Reduction,
Ohio Dept of Health. E Rhoades, MD, Oklahoma State Dept of Health.
A Sandoval, 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. P Schnitzer, PhD, Bur of Epidemiology, Texas Dept of
Health. W Ball, PhD, 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. J Tierney, Wisconsin Dept of Health and Social Svcs.
Div of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: The findings in this report suggest that exposure
to lead may be decreasing; however, variation in national quarterly
reporting totals may result from 1) changes in the number of
participating states; 2) changes in staffing and funding in
state-based surveillance programs; and 3) interstate differences in
worker BLL testing by lead-using industries. ABLES data also may be
underreported when compared to estimates of the number of adults
exposed to lead derived from the Third National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (3).
The findings in this report document the continuing hazard of
work-related lead exposures as an occupational health problem in
the United States. ABLES enhances surveillance for this preventable
condition by expanding the number of participating states, reducing
variability in reporting, and distinguishing between new and
recurring elevated BLLs in adults.
References
CDC. Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance -- United
States, second quarter, 1995. MMWR 1995;44:801-2.
CDC. Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance -- United
States, first quarter, 1996 and annual 1995. MMWR
1996;45:628-31.
Brody DJ, Pirkle JL, Kramer RA, et al. Blood lead levels in the
US population: Phase 1 of the Third National Health and
Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988 to 1991). JAMA
1994;272:277-
83.
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. Number of reports of elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) among adults, number
of adults with elevated BLLs, and percentage change in number of reports --
25 states, * second quarter, 1996
===================================================================================================
Second quarter, 1996
Reported BLL ----------------------------- Cumulative Cumulative % Change
(ug/dL) No. reports + No. persons & reports, 1995 @ reports, 1996 1995-1996
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25-39 5,024 3,508 10,527 9,978 - 5%
40-49 959 674 2,697 2,111 -22%
50-59 224 159 554 431 -22%
>= 60 98 55 236 200 -15%
Total 6,305 4,396 14,014 12,720 - 9%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Okla-
homa, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wiscon-
sin.
+ Data for Alabama were missing; first quarter 1995 data were used as an estimate.
& Individual reports for persons are categorized according to the highest reported BLL for the
person during the given quarter. Pennsylvania provides the number of reports but no infor-
mation on persons. The data on persons from Pennsylvania included in this table are estimates
based on the proportions from the other 24 states combined and the number of reports
received from Pennsylvania. Data for Alabama were missing; first quarter 1995 data were used
as an estimate.
@ Data for Minnesota and Ohio are included for the first time in addition to previously published
1995 totals (1). For Minnesota, first and second quarter data for 1995 were used; for Ohio,
first and second quarter data for 1996 were used as an estimate.
===================================================================================================
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