Abstract
California medical laboratories that test for blood lead are required to report results exceeding 1.21 μmol/L (25 μg/dl). Between April and December 1987, the California Department of Health Services received 3,077 blood lead reports from 34 laboratories for 1,293 civilian, non-institutionalized adults. Approximately 1 percent of all reports exceeded 3.87 μmol/L (80 μg/dl), 7 percent exceeded 2.42 μmol/L (50 μg/dl), and 21 percent exceeded 1.93 μmol/L (40 μg/dl). Individuals tested were overwhelmingly male (94 percent), disproportionately Hispanic surnamed (44 percent), and most often residents of Los Angeles County (81 percent). Workers in lead smelting, battery manufacturing, and brass foundries accounted for nearly 80 percent of reports. Construction, radiator repair, pottery and ceramics manufacturing, and gun firing ranges accounted for the remainder. All adults with reports of ≥2.90 μmol/L who were contacted reported an occupational exposure. Approximately half were not in routien medical monitoring programs. Despire OSHA standards, elevated blood lead with the potential for serious acute and chronic lead poisoning in California adults remains a significant public health and major occupational health concern.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 931-934 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | American Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| State | Published - 1990 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Elevated blood lead in California adults, 1987 : Results of a statewide surveillance program based on laboratory reports. / Maizlish, N.; Rudolph, L.; Sutton, P.; Jones, J. R.; Kizer, Kenneth W.
In: American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 80, No. 8, 1990, p. 931-934.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Elevated blood lead in California adults, 1987
T2 - Results of a statewide surveillance program based on laboratory reports
AU - Maizlish, N.
AU - Rudolph, L.
AU - Sutton, P.
AU - Jones, J. R.
AU - Kizer, Kenneth W
PY - 1990
Y1 - 1990
N2 - California medical laboratories that test for blood lead are required to report results exceeding 1.21 μmol/L (25 μg/dl). Between April and December 1987, the California Department of Health Services received 3,077 blood lead reports from 34 laboratories for 1,293 civilian, non-institutionalized adults. Approximately 1 percent of all reports exceeded 3.87 μmol/L (80 μg/dl), 7 percent exceeded 2.42 μmol/L (50 μg/dl), and 21 percent exceeded 1.93 μmol/L (40 μg/dl). Individuals tested were overwhelmingly male (94 percent), disproportionately Hispanic surnamed (44 percent), and most often residents of Los Angeles County (81 percent). Workers in lead smelting, battery manufacturing, and brass foundries accounted for nearly 80 percent of reports. Construction, radiator repair, pottery and ceramics manufacturing, and gun firing ranges accounted for the remainder. All adults with reports of ≥2.90 μmol/L who were contacted reported an occupational exposure. Approximately half were not in routien medical monitoring programs. Despire OSHA standards, elevated blood lead with the potential for serious acute and chronic lead poisoning in California adults remains a significant public health and major occupational health concern.
AB - California medical laboratories that test for blood lead are required to report results exceeding 1.21 μmol/L (25 μg/dl). Between April and December 1987, the California Department of Health Services received 3,077 blood lead reports from 34 laboratories for 1,293 civilian, non-institutionalized adults. Approximately 1 percent of all reports exceeded 3.87 μmol/L (80 μg/dl), 7 percent exceeded 2.42 μmol/L (50 μg/dl), and 21 percent exceeded 1.93 μmol/L (40 μg/dl). Individuals tested were overwhelmingly male (94 percent), disproportionately Hispanic surnamed (44 percent), and most often residents of Los Angeles County (81 percent). Workers in lead smelting, battery manufacturing, and brass foundries accounted for nearly 80 percent of reports. Construction, radiator repair, pottery and ceramics manufacturing, and gun firing ranges accounted for the remainder. All adults with reports of ≥2.90 μmol/L who were contacted reported an occupational exposure. Approximately half were not in routien medical monitoring programs. Despire OSHA standards, elevated blood lead with the potential for serious acute and chronic lead poisoning in California adults remains a significant public health and major occupational health concern.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 2368852
AN - SCOPUS:0025285014
VL - 80
SP - 931
EP - 934
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health
SN - 0090-0036
IS - 8
ER -