Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance--United States, second and third quarters, 1998, and annual 1994-1997.

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999 Mar 19; 48(10):213-6, 223.MM

Chronic lead exposure in adults can damage the cardiovascular, central nervous, renal, reproductive, and hematologic systems. CDC's Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program monitors laboratory-reported elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) among adults in the United States. During 1998, 27 states reported surveillance data to ABLES. This report presents prevalence data for elevated BLLs for the second and third quarters of 1998 and compares them with corresponding quarters of 1997, and presents annual prevalence data for elevated BLLs from 1994 through 1997 for each participating state. The findings indicate that of the approximately 20,000 persons tested for blood lead and reported to ABLES each quarter, approximately 4000 BLLs were elevated. The 1994-1997 prevalence rates of elevated BLLs among adults provide a crude comparison of the levels and trends among the 27 states participating in the program.