Elevated Blood Lead Levels Related to the Use of Firearms

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cook JM ; DeLoreto AL ; Redlich CA ; Sakr CJ
• Description:
  Lead is well known to cause toxicity to multiple organs, even at low levels of exposure. Public health workplace and environmental regulations and practices have resulted in substantial reductions in lead exposure in the United States however, lead remains a serious and preventable hazard, with lead ammunition and the use of firearms an important preventable but underappreciated source of lead exposure. Elevated blood lead levels have been documented in firing range workers, military and enforcement personnel, and increasingly in recreational firearm users. Although lead-free ammunition is available, the most common source of nonoccupationally elevated blood lead levels reported in the United States is now the use and maintenance of firearms. Despite the well documented risks of leaded ammunition, the risks of lead exposure from firearm use are not well appreciated among health care providers and the general public, hindering recognition and preventive measures. The potential for lead exposure and toxicity from the use of firearms is of particular concern in the United States, given that approximately 15% of the US adult population are estimated to regularly participate in target shooting, and many others hunt wildlife. Lead-based ammunition is also an important source of lead in the environment, leading to toxicity in wildlife as well as humans. Summarized in Table 1 are six cases of elevated blood lead levels in our clinic related to firearm use from 2011 until 2014, with associated lead exposure settings, blood lead levels, and symptoms reported. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Exposure Hazardous Substances Law Enforcement Lead Occupational Health Public Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Blood Lead Levels Environmental Exposure Exposure Levels Firearms Law Enforcement Law Enforcement Workers Military Personnel Public Health Risk Factors Toxins Work Environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Connecticut ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  57
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052351
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2015 Oct; 57(10):e136-e138
• Contact Point Address:
  Jacqueline M. Cook, MD, MPH, Department of Medicine, Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program, Yale University School of Medicine, 367 Cedar St, ESHA 2nd floor, New Haven, CT 06510
• Email:
  jacqueline.cook@yale.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services ; Wholesale and Retail Trade
• Performing Organization:
  Connecticut Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20150630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:434a023ff7b713c616020a55753ab2989f7b33191de08fa6324b724d609d55362fdb770afb5a7c281fbe6126de7f741688afe133025dfe84c4ecbb3347bf8202
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211894/cdc_211894_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 318.00 KB ]