NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program Lead Measurement Database

This database was developed to provide researchers and other interested stakeholders with lead measurement results that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has collected during health hazard evaluation (HHE) surveys from 1991 through 2015. HHEs are requested by employees or their representatives, or employers, to help learn whether health hazards are present at their workplace. The scope of HHEs varies based on the requestors’ concerns and the NIOSH project officers’ professional judgment. Only lead measurement results are included in this database; however, many HHEs evaluating lead exposures also look at other exposures. Individual HHE reports are published on the NIOSH website at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/. When available, this database provides a direct link to the HHE report for each of the evaluations whose measurement results are included in this database.

The database contains workplace lead measurement results from over 70 HHE reports, including over 1,200 personal lead exposure measurements and 1,900 area lead measurements. It also includes the following information: U.S. state or territory; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) region; National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) sector; North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code; facility description; lead-generating activities; job title; type (full-shift, partial-shift, or task-based) and duration of lead measurement; lead concentrations from personal breathing zone air sampling; lead concentrations from surface wipe and surface pad samples; type of respirator and if employees used them or not; 8 hour time-weighted average concentration and 10 hour time-weighted average concentration; lead concentration per grams of material; weight of lead per total sample; respiratory protection program; lead surveillance program; and more. This database is an ongoing project and will be updated periodically to add the most recent HHE lead measurement data.

 

Acknowledgements

We want to thank and acknowledge Alia El Burai Félix for developing this lead exposure database, Catherine Moore for finishing it and performing data quality checks, and Robert E. McCleery, Allison Tepper, and Josh Harney for their assistance, insight, and mentorship during its completion. We also acknowledge all of the HHE program investigators whose data were included in the HHE reports that we used to create the database.

Lead Measurement Methods

All lead measurements were collected by NIOSH investigators as part of a health hazard evaluation. Data were extracted from the final report and, in some cases, augmented from investigators’ records. Administrative and observational information was extracted from the final report. The Health Hazard Evaluation Program has an extensive internal review process for its reports. Data entered into the database underwent a 100 percent check to ensure accurate entry. View detailed descriptions of the methods.

Contact Information

If you have questions, please contact the HHE Program from Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST at 1-513-841-4382 or at HHERequestHelp@cdc.gov.

Citations of manuscripts that have used these data

Ceballos D, King B, Beaucham C, Brueck SE [2015]. Comparison of a wipe method with and without a rinse to recover wall losses in closed face 37-mm cassettes used for sampling lead dust particulates. J Occup Environ Hyg DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2015.1009991.

Esswein EJ, Boeniger MF, Ashley K [2011]. Handwipe method for removing lead from skin.
Surface and Dermal Sampling. Brisson M, Ashley K, eds., West Conshohocken PA: ASTM International, STP 1533, 2011 Nov pp. 67-81.

Esswein EJ, Boeniger MF, Ashley K [2011]. Handwipe method for removing lead from skin. J ASTM Int 2011 8(5):JAI103527.

Filon FL, Boeniger M, Maina G, Adami G, Spinelli P, Damian A [2006]. Skin absorption of inorganic lead (PbO) and the effect of skin cleansers. J Occup Environ Med 48(7):692-699.

Hall RM [2003]. Exposures to lead, metals, and wood dust during stripping and refinishing furniture.
Appl Occup Environ Hyg 18(9):639-645.

Kardous-CA; King-BF; Khan-A; Whelan-EA; Tubbs-RL; Barsan-ME; Crouch-KG; Murphy-WJ; Willson-RD; Esswein-EJ; Boeniger-MF [2009]. Preventing occupational exposures to lead and noise at indoor firing ranges. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2009-136.

King B; Collins S [2015]. Lead exposure examined. ESN 2015 15(6):32-34.

Malkin R [2005]. Occupational and environmental lead and PCB exposure at a scrap metal dealer. Environ Res 70(1):20-23.

Matte TD, Figueroa JP, Ostrowski S, Burr G, Jackson-Hunt-L, Baker EL [1991]. Lead exposure from conventional and cottage lead smelting in Jamaica. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 21(1):65-71.
              
Reh BD [2001]. Health hazard evaluations: issues related to occupational exposure to lead 1994 to 1999.
Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-113.

Sussell A, Gittleman J, Singal M [1998]. Worker lead exposures during renovation of homes with lead-based paint. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 13(11):770-775.

Sussell A, Hart C, Wild D, Ashley K [1999]. An evaluation of worker lead exposures and cleaning effectiveness during removal of deteriorated lead-based paint. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 14(3):177-185.

Sussell A, Ashley K [2002]. Field measurement of lead in workplace air and paint chip samples by ultrasonic extraction and portable anodic stripping voltammetry. J Environ Monit 4(1):156-161.

Tepper AL, Mueller C, Singal M, Sagar K [2001]. Blood pressure, left ventricular mass, and lead exposure in battery manufacturing workers. Am J Ind Med 40(1):63-72.

Protecting workers exposed to lead-based paint hazards: a report to Congress, revised. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-112.

Tharr-D [1991]. Lead exposures in gold fire assay laboratories. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 6(4):252-254.