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Occupational Lead poisoning prevention program

Lead in the Workplace - The New Science

A one-day scientific symposium moderated by John Howard, MD, Director of NIOSH

The CDPH Occupational Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (OLPPP) has reviewed available scientific information and made health-based recommendations to Cal/OSHA for revising its General Industry Lead Standard and Lead in Construction Standard. This symposium, held on November 13, 2013, discussed the scientific basis for the CDPH recommendations.

Scientific experts provided detailed presentations on the current literature on health effects of low-level lead exposure and the Cal/EPA report on modeling of the air lead/blood lead relationship. A CDPH representative presented the basis for the CDPH's Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) recommendation (PDF) to Cal/OSHA. In addition, a panel of experts from related disciplines responded to the presentations and participated in a Q & A session with symposium attendees.

Individual speaker presentations

​Presenter

​ Video

Michael J. Kosnett, MD, MPH

University of Colorado, Dept. of Medicine, Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health        

Health Hazards of Low-level Lead Exposure to Adults 

(58.25 minutes)

​Kathleen Vork PhD, MPH

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency

Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Air Lead and Blood Level Relationship

(48.29 minutes)

​Barbara Materna, PhD, CIH

Chief of Occupational Health Branch, California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH)

CDPH Health-based Permissible Exposure Limit Recommendation for Lead 

(35.08 minutes)

​Philip J Landrigan, MD, MSc, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Dale B. Hattis, PhD, Clark University

Ken D. Rosenman, MD, Michigan State University

Leslie Israel, DO, MPH, University of California at Irvine

Discussant Panel Responses 

​(39.54 minutes)

​Closing remarks by Dr. John Howard MD, MPH, JD

Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Q & A Session, Closing Remarks

(1:14:22 minutes) 

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