Integrating Childhood and Adult Blood Lead Surveillance to Improve Identification and Intervention Efforts

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects information on blood lead levels (BLLs) in the United States through the Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance (CBLS) system (<16 years of age) and the Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program (≥16 years of age). While both of these state-based national programs share the mutual goal of monitoring and reducing lead exposure in the US population, blood lead data for children and adults are maintained in separate data collection systems. This limits the ability to fully describe lead exposure in the US population across these 2 distinct population groups from sources such as take-home and maternal-child lead exposure. In addition, at the state level, having a unified system to collect, maintain, and analyze child and adult blood lead data provides a more efficient use of limited resources. Based on feedback from state partners, CDC is working to integrate CBLS and ABLES data collection systems at the national level. Several states have developed or are developing an integrated child and adult blood lead data collection system. We highlight efforts undertaken in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina, Iowa, and Oregon to investigate workplace and take-home lead exposure. Integrating blood lead surveillance data at the national level will enhance CDC's ability to monitor sources of lead exposure from both the home and work environments including paint, water, soil, dust, consumer products, and lead-related industries. Together, an integrated child and adult blood lead surveillance system will offer a coordinated, comprehensive, and systematic public health approach to the surveillance and monitoring of reported BLLs across the US population.