ABSTRACT
The new recommendations will affect the practice of many laboratories which provide blood lead levels for pediatric screening purposes. However, the new action levels are located relatively centrally in the current distributions of blood lead levels, rather than in the tail of the distribution, as were previous levels. Requisite precision should be achievable through greater attention to calibration and quality control. Both methods require instruments which are technically complex and have high initial costs, but allow substantial automation and provide high throughput. Lead can be measured by anodic stripping voltammetry using instruments which have relatively low initial costs and are also rugged and portable. An unresolved issue is the nature of interventions which will be cost effective in reducing the body burden of lead associated with these lower levels. Development of instrumentation and methodology which allows precise measurement of low levels of blood lead is a necessary first step, since accurate feedback will be necessary to document effective interventions.
