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36 MAY 2014 COATINGSPROMAG.COM Safety Watch Lead remains in the body for a long time. The half-life of lead in bone, or the time it takes half of the amount of lead stored in bones to leave the body, can be more than 20 years. D espite marked reductions in environmental sources of lead and increased protection from occupa- tional lead exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that lead exposure on the job remains a signifcant health threat for painting contractors. Te past several decades have shown an overall decreasing trend in the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) for adults in the United States. Despite this decrease, though, lead exposures continue at unaccept- able rates. Why Is This Important? Lead has no known use in the human body. In fact, even at very low levels, lead can cause signifcant health problems for adults and children. Recent CDC research indicates that BLLs of <10 µg/dL, which were previ- ously considered harmless, have now been discovered to cause harmful efects in adults, including decreased renal function and increased risk for hypertension. Unfortunately, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lead standards do not require medical removal from work until BLLs reach 50 µg/dL and allow workers to return when BLL falls below 40 µg/dL. Lead is a toxin that has the ability to impede the development and function of every organ and system in the human body. Once it enters the body, it travels through the blood- stream; some is stored in the kidneys and brain but most is stored in the bones. Lead remains in the body for a long time. Te half-life of lead in bone, or the time it takes half of the amount of lead stored in bones to leave the body, can be more than 20 years. Lead poisoning can occur through high exposure to lead during a short period of time (aka acute), or through low exposure over a long period of time (aka chronic). Even tiny amounts of lead can be dangerous to a person's health, and its efects on the body can be devastating and irreversible. Persistent very high BLLs can result in spontaneous abortion, reduced newborn birth weight, neurocognitive defcits, sperm abnormalities, subclin- ical peripheral neuropathy, hyperten- sion, anemia, and kidney dysfunction. A lt hough t he sa le a nd use of lead pa int was ba nned in t he United States in 1978, lead pa int is repor ted ly found in approx imately 60 percent of a l l str uct ures in t he United States a nd increases to over 80 percent in t he major popu l at ion centers. A ny str uct ure bu i lt pr ior to 1978 ver y l i kely conta ins lead pa int. If a str uct ure conta ins lead pa int, t hen common pa int ing , renovat ion, a nd repa ir or demol it ion act iv it ies ca n cause lead e x posure a nd subse - quent lead poisoning. CDC Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance Te CDC recently released results of a nine-year study called "Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES)" program that tracked blood lead levels of U.S. adults in various occupations. Forty-one states partici- pated in the ABLES program in 2011. Te CDC study results, published November 19, 2013, concluded that occupational exposure accounted for 9 out of 10 cases of adult "very high " blood lead levels. Te CDC identifes 10 µg/dL as the reference BLLs for adults; levels at or above that amount are considered "elevated," and "very high " BLLs are defned as greater than or equal to 40 µg/dL. ABLES identifed 11,536 adults with very high BLLs. Occupational exposure accounted for 7,076 adults P h o to s co u r te s y o f E CO B O ND L BP, L LC By Lianna Sandy, Marketing Manager for ECOBOND LBP, LLC Risk for Lead Poisoning CPRO 0514.indd 36 4/23/14 4:20 PM