ELEVATED LEAD CONTAMINATION IN HOMES OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health investigators st udied lead exposures among 37 families of construction workers, 22 nei ghborhood families with no known lead exposures were included for comp arison. Workers were identified as having blood lead levels at or abov e 25 mu g/dl. This article reports the levels of lead contamination on hands and interior surfaces of homes and automobiles of study partici pants. Results indicate that the hands of lead-exposed workers were se ven times more contaminated with lead compared with control workers; n o difference was found between exposed and control family members' han ds. Surface lead contamination was significantly higher in automobiles driven by the lead-exposed workers; some locations, such as armrests, were 10 times more contaminated for the exposed group. High lead load ings in lead workers' automobiles were found on the driver's floor (ge ometric mean [GM]=1100 mu g/m(2)), drive's armrest (2000 mu g/m(2)),an d passenger's armrest (1200 mu g/m(2)). Surface lead concentrations we re significantly higher for exposed homes compared with control homes in,oems where work clothing was changed (GM=370 versus 120 ppm; p = 0. 005). While environmental sources of lead were also evaluated, study r esults strongly suggest that construction workers' occupational exposu res together with poor hygiene practices were the primary causes of le ad contamination. Requirements intended to prevent ''take-home'' lead exposures were reported by workers in this study to be infrequently fo llowed by employers. These findings may be limited in representativene ss since only highly exposed workers were selected from a specific geo graphic area. Regardless targeted education and enforcement efforts ar e necessary to help ensure that preventive measures are adequately pra cticed throughout the construction industry.