Eliminating Childhood Lead Toxicity in Australia – a Little Is Still Too Much Tuesday 5 June 2012, 9.45Am to 4Pm Session 3 - Preventing Lead Poisoning
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Macquarie University Public Health Network Supported by Faculty of Science Genes to Geoscience Research Centre Macquarie Law Centre for Legal Governance Eliminating Childhood Lead Toxicity in Australia – A Little is Still Too Much Tuesday 5 June 2012, 9.45am to 4pm Session 3 - Preventing Lead Poisoning 1.30 pm - 1.45pm Personal experience of lead poisoning in the community. Speaker - Sergeant Jeff Farmer, Port Stephens, NSW. 1.45 pm - 2.05 pm The science of preventing childhood lead toxicity. Speaker - Professor B.P. Lanphear. 2.05 pm - 2.30 pm Standards and regulation for environmental lead exposure. Speaker – Dr Alana Mackay, Research Scientist, Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist (ERISS), Dept. of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Federal Govt). 2.30 pm - 2.45 pm Consumer products and lead exposures. Speaker - Elizabeth O’Brien, Manager, Global Lead Advice & Support Service (GLASS), NSW. Macquarie University Public Health Network Supported by Faculty of Science Genes to Geoscience Research Centre Macquarie Law Centre for Legal Governance Eliminating Childhood Lead Toxicity in Australia – A Little is Still Too Much Tuesday 5 June 2012, 9.45am to 4pm Session 3 - Preventing Lead Poisoning Personal experience of lead poisoning in the community. Speaker - Sergeant Jeff Farmer, Port Stephens, NSW. Prevention of Lead Toxicity Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH Child & Family Research Institute BC Children’s Hospital Faculty of Health Science Simon Fraser University “Prevention is easy. Paint containing lead should never be employed ... where children, especially young children, are accustomed to play.” A.J. Turner, 1909 Countries Banning Lead-based Paints France 1909 Belgium 1909 Austria 1909 Tunisia 1922 Greece 1922 Czechoslovakia 1924 Great Britain 1926 Sweden 1926 Belgium 1926 Poland 1927 Spain 1931 Yugoslavia 1931 Cuba 1934 ‘You may control conditions within a factory ... but how can you control the whole country?’ Alice Hamilton, 1925 ConsumptionConsumption of Lead of Lead in in thethe United United States States Gasoline Additives White Lead Paint Metric Tons Metric Tons Lead Consumption in 1000 Year The Lead Pandemic Decline in Blood Lead Levels after the Phase-out of Leaded Gasoline, United States 110 17 100 Predicted Blood Lead 16 90 15 80 14 g/dL) Gasoline Lead µ 13 70 12 60 11 50 Observed Blood Lead 10 40 Mean blood lead ( 9 Lead used in petrol (1000s of tons) Lead used in petrol 30 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 Year Courtesy of Larry Needham, CDC Steps to Prevent Childhood Lead Exposure • Identify sources of lead • Identify unacceptable levels of lead in contributing sources • Test efficacy and safety of interventions to reduce lead exposure • Develop and implement regulations and screening programs Blood Lead Levels > 10 μg/dL among Children in Rochester, 1995 Percent > 10 μg/dL < 10 10 - 19 20 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 > 50 Non-residential Lanphear BP, et al. Pediatrics 1998;101:264-271 Frequency of Mouthing Behaviors during Early Childhood and Blood Lead Levels Percent Months of Age Lanphear BP et al. Journal of Pediatrics 2002;140:40-47 Frequency of Mouthing Behaviors during Early Childhood and Blood Lead Levels Blood Lead Percent Months of Age Lanphear BP et al. Journal of Pediatrics 2002;140:40-47 What is the Most Important Source of Lead Intake for Children? Sources of Lead Exposure in Early Childhood The Rochester Lead Study Percent Increase Percent Adapted from Lanphear BP, et al. Journal of Pediatrics 2002;140:40-47. Pathways of Childhood Lead Exposure Contribution of Lead-Contaminated Floor Dust to Children’s Blood Lead 30 25 10 μg/dL 20 15 10 Pooled Analysis LID Study 5 Percent Blood Lead > Percent 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Floor Dust Lead (μg/ft2) Lanphear BP, et al. Environmental Research 1998;79:51-68. Contribution of Lead-Contaminated Floor Dust to Children’s Blood Lead 30 25 10 μg/dL 20 15 10 Pooled Analysis LID Study 5 Percent Blood Lead > Percent 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Floor Dust Lead (μg/ft2) Lanphear BP, et al. Environmental Research 1998;79:51-68. Relationship of Lead-contaminated House Dust and Children’s Blood Lead Levels Dixon S, et al. Env Health Persp 2009;117:468-474. Odds of Blood Lead Increase >5µg/dL in Children by Age after Lead Abatement g/dL µ AOR BPb > 5 AOR Age (months) Clark S, et al. Env Res 2004;96:196-205. Is it Cost-Beneficial to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposure? Total Costs and Benefits of Lead Control Gould E. EHP 2009;117:1162-1167. Implications for Prevention • Eliminate all non-essential uses of lead worldwide and develop regulations to control lead emissions • Establish empirically-derived health-based standards for lead in air, house dust, soil and water • Screen housing units for lead hazards before purchase or occupancy, after renovation and abatement • Lower blood lead “level of concern” to < 1μg/dL and set new goals to achieve population levels with margin of safety • Lower “action” level to <5 μg/dL and begin environmental interventions at lower blood lead level Regulation and standards for environmental lead exposure Dr Alana Mackay Environmental Research Institute of the Supervising Scientist Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities [email protected] Presentation Outline • Environmental Legislation – Northern Territory • National Environmental Protection Measures (NEPMs) • Australian standards and guidance documents Legislation Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Air Toxics NEPM 2004 Ambient Air Quality NEPM 1998 Assessment of Contaminated Sites National Pollutant Inventory NEPM NEPM 1999 1998 National Waste Environmental Environmental Mining Environmental Management Protection Offences and Management Water Act 1999 Assessment Act and Pollution Council Penalties Act Act 2011 1994 Control Act (Northern 2010 2009 Territory) Act 1998 Department of Resources Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport NT Mining Management Act 2011 “The objects of this Act are to ensure the development of the Territory's mineral resources in accordance with environmental standards consistent with best practice in the mining industry” “The operator for a mining site must ensure that the environmental impact of mining activities is limited to what is necessary for the establishment, operation and closure of the site.” “The operator must (c) establish, implement and maintain an appropriate environment protection management system for the site” Environmental Best Practice and Benchmarking • Protecting the environment and community • Reduce the impact and extent of legacy mines/ contaminated lands • Governments have a key role in setting environmental standards and ensuring that individuals and organisations meet them • Increasingly governments, industry and community organisations are working as partners to protect our environment for present and future generations Rum Jungle Uranium Mine, NT • Rehabilitated in the 1980s • NT Department of Resources are unable to issue closure and return the land to the Traditional Owners Guidance level Reference Lead Pathways and Bioindicator (receptor) Exposure Assessment Blood Lead 10 µg/dL NHMRC, 2009 Exposure pathway Water quality Groundwater (aquatic 1-5 µg/L NEPC, 1999* ecosystem protection) Surface water (aquatic 1-9.4 µg/L ANZECC, 2000* ecosystem protection) Surface water 50 µg/L ANZECC, 2000* (recreational purposes) Drinking water 10 µg/L NHMRC, 2011 Sediment Interim sediment quality 50 mg/kg (dry wt) ANZECC, 2000* guideline - low Interim sediment quality 220 mg/kg (dry wt) ANZECC, 2000* guideline - high Soil (Health-based Investigation Levels) Standard residential 300 mg/kg NEPC, 1999* Parks, recreational open 600 mg/kg NEPC, 1999* spaces and playing fields < 10 µg/dL Residential with minimal 1,200 mg/kg NEPC, 1999* oppurtunity for soil access Modified after NHMRC, 2009 Commercial and industrial 1,500 mg/kg NEPC, 1999* Guidance level Reference Dustus (no formal criterion iinn AAustralian legislation) Australian/ New Zealand Pb ppaint abatement - floor 1,000 µg/m2 Standards, 1998 Surfaceurf dust Pb - floor 430 µg/m2 US EPA, 2001; 2008 Pb ppaint abatement - window Australian/ New Zealand 5,000 µg/m2 ssillill Standards, 1998 Surfaceurf dust Pb - window sill 2,690 µg/m2 US EPA, 2001; 2008 Pb ini surface dust 500 mg/kg USEPA/HUD, 1995 Airir 0.5 µg/m3 averaged over 1 yr, Ambient Air Quality reported as fraction of total NEPC, 1998* suspended particles FMENCNS, 2002 Pb deposition 100 μg/m2/day (aka German TA Luft) Pb depositiond 250 μg/m2/day WHO, 2000 Foodoo Brassicas 0.3 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 Cereals, Pulses and Legumes 0.2 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 Edible offal of cattle, sheep, pig 0.5 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 and poultry Fish 0.5 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 Fruit 0.1 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 Infant formulae 0.02 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 Meat of cattle, sheep, pig and Modified after NHMRC, 2009 0.1 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 poultry (excluding offal) Molluscs 2 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 Vegetables (except brassicas) 0.1 mg/kg FSANZ, 2011 Australian Standards and Guidance Documents National Environmental Protection Measures (NEPMs) What are NEPMs? • NEPMs are national objectives for protecting and managing particular aspects of the environment • NEPMs are broad framework-setting statutory instruments defined in the National Environmental Protection Council Act (NEPC Act) • NEPMs typically consist : ▫ a goal ▫ one or more standards ▫ one or more monitoring and reporting protocols, and ▫ may also contain guidelines. National