Kuhre J, Sleeth D, Handy R* and Schaeffer C
The healthy people 2010 lead objective sought to reduce the number of employees occupationally exposed to lead with Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) ≥ 25 μg/dL to 0. Concurrently, occupational limits have been set at 50 ug/m3 for lead in the air. To determine whether Utah and the U.S. met these prior national goals, this retrospective study compared elevated BLL prevalence from Utah and U.S. employees from 2000-2009 against the healthy people 2010 goal. Lead air concentrations were also compared against U.S. Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs). Results found that elevated BLL prevalence statistically significantly declined for both Utah and the nation but did not reach the intended goal of healthy people 2010. Lead air concentrations similarly declined but were higher than proposed OELs, suggesting additional research is needed.
Published Date: 2023-05-30; Received Date: 2023-03-23
