Elevated blood lead levels in children of construction workers.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether children of lead-exposed construction workers had higher blood lead levels than neighborhood control children.


METHODS
Twenty-nine construction workers were identified from the New Jersey Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) registry. Eighteen control families were referred by workers. Venous blood samples were collected from 50 children (31 exposed, 19 control subjects) under age 6.


RESULTS
Twenty-six percent of workers children had blood lead levels at or over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention action level of 0.48 mumol/L (10 micrograms/dL), compared with 5% of control children (unadjusted odds ratio = 6.1; 95% confidence interval = 0.9, 147.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Children of construction workers may be at risk for excessive lead exposure. Health care providers should assess parental occupation as a possible pathway for lead exposure of young children.
Whelan
E A
EA
Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, USA.
Piacitelli
G M
GM
Gerwel
B
B
Schnorr
T M
TM
Mueller
C A
CA
Gittleman
J
J
Matte
T D
TD
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000209:etiology; D009515:New Jersey; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010150:Paint / Q000032:analysis; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D004391:Dust; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D007854:Lead