Alaska Lead Surveillance

About lead

Lead is a soft, heavy metal that is blue-gray in color. It occurs naturally in the earth, but human activities like burning fuel, mining, and manufacturing have spread it into our environment, homes, and workplaces. Lead is very toxic, especially to young children, and has no known benefit for the human body. It’s important to avoid exposure to lead.

In the last 20 years, the United States has made big efforts to remove lead from gasoline, paint, and many other products. However, lead is still used in some items, like bullets, batteries, medical tools, and scientific equipment. Lead doesn’t break down over time, so older products with lead still add to pollution in the environment.

How do people get exposed to lead? 

Occupational exposures

People who work in certain industries can be exposed by breathing in air that contains lead particles or fumes. In Alaska, such industries include:

• Mining of lead, zinc, silver, or gold ore
• Demolition
• Lead paint remediation
• Home renovation
• Working at an indoor firing range
• Soldering and welding
• Automotive repair
• Metal recycling

Workers can bring lead dust home on their clothes, which may expose their families to lead. This can be prevented if employers and workers follow OSHA rules and use protective clothing that is cleaned the right way. See 1910.1025 (g) (1) and (2).​

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has guidance for homeowners, tenants, childcare providers and parents on lead safety during renovation, repair, and painting

Non-occupational exposures

Some hobbies can expose people to lead by breathing in lead particles or fumes. Lead dust from hobbies can also stick to shoes and clothes, spreading it to others at home. In Alaska, these hobbies include:

• Shooting and reloading firearms
• Shooting at an indoor firing range
• Casting lead bullets or fishing weights
• Metal recycling
• Stained glass

People can also be exposed to lead in the home through various sources such as:

• Water (from lead plumbing or solder in older homes)
• Lead-based paint in homes built before 1978
• Imported items such as glazed pottery, toys, candy, nutritional pills or vitamins, and foods canned or packaged outside the U.S.
• Cosmetics such as kohl, surma, and sindoor
• Traditional medicines such as ayurvedic, greta, azarcon, alarcon, alkohl, bali goli, coral, ghasard, luiga, pay-loo-ah, and rueda

Exposures in children

Babies and children under 6 years old are most at risk from lead’s harmful effects. High levels of lead during important growth stages can cause permanent damage. Lead can slow brain growth, lower IQ, and cause health problems like anemia and vitamin D issues. Children who don’t get enough iron or calcium may absorb more lead, so eating healthy is important. Zinc also helps protect against lead’s harmful effects.

Exposure routes for children include:

• Chipped lead-based paint in homes built before 1978
• Ingesting or mouthing items that contain lead, such as lead-painted toys or jewelry
• Water (from lead plumbing or solder in older homes)
• Take-home lead, when family members bring home lead dust on their work clothes
• In utero (womb), when the mother is exposed through any previously mentioned route

Older children’s brains are still developing, which makes them vulnerable to lead’s harmful effects. In Alaska, we have found extra sources of lead exposure for older children, including:

• Shooting and reloading firearms
• Shooting at an indoor firing range

Impacts of lead poisoning

Lead poisoning happens when there is too much lead in the blood. Lead can affect almost every organ and system, with the nervous system being the most at risk in both adults and children. 

Lead poisoning can cause long term damage including organ damage, hearing loss, reproductive problems, and more. It is important to be tested for lead regularly if you have potential exposure.

Alaska Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance Program

Alaska has a comprehensive statewide blood lead surveillance program and targeted screening program to identify and control sources of lead exposure and assist in the medical management of patients with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs).

In Alaska, elevated lead levels are found mostly in adults, usually as a result of mining occupations, casting of lead bullets or fishing weights, or exposure in shooting ranges. Present efforts are being directed towards targeted screening of populations potentially at risk for elevated lead exposures. These include occupational and non-occupational exposures.

In Alaska, follow-up investigations are conducted for children under age 18 when the initial BLL is 3.5 µg/dL or higher and for adults when the initial BLL is 25 µg/dL or higher. For occupational exposures, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires follow-ups when BLLs exceed 40 µg/dL.

To learn more about the lead surveillance program, contact the Environmental Public Health Program either by phone (907-269-8000) or email (eph@alaska.gov)

Lead screening in children

The decision to test a child's blood lead level is best made by the child's parents and health care provider, taking into consideration the child's exposure risk factors. Interested parents should discuss blood lead testing during their child's physical exam.

The Environmental Public Health Program provides lead testing kits to State Public Health Centers. The test uses a finger stick to collect a blood sample. Testing tubes, lancets, and supporting paperwork will be provided. State Public Health Centers can obtain lead testing kits by contacting the Environmental Public Health Program at eph@alaska.gov or call 907-269-8000.

Resources