September 8, 2004—Although high blood-lead levels in adults continue to decline in prevalence, preventable lead exposures persist as an occupational health problem, a new NIOSH study finds. The study analyzed 35 states’ adult blood-lead level reports that were collected under the NIOSH Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program in 2002.
The study, published in the July 9 issue of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), noted that ABLES provides a tool for identifying and reducing harmful lead exposures. It does so by increasing the number of states that monitor adult blood-lead levels, identifying sources of persistent overexposures, and helping states focus efforts to prevent such exposures.
The full article is available from MMWR. More information on ABLES is available from NIOSH.
