U.S. Blood Lead Reduction Activities Outlook

Industrial Health Committee Co-ChairBattery Council International

Troy A. GreissJune 19, 2013

Current U.S. OSHA Standard1978

• Permissible exposure limit (PEL) for employees ≤ 50 μg/m3 (using engineering controls, PPE and work practices)

• MRP ≥ 60 μg/dL single test with follow-up or ≥ 50 μg/dL average of last three tests (phased in 1983)

• Return at ≤ 40 μg/dL across two consecutive tests

Considerable New Findings Since 1978 in U.S. and Europe

• Lead Industry produced EC Voluntary Risk Assessment for Lead (2008)

• Final NTP report issued (2012)• New CDC Reference Value (2012)

NTP Monograph on Health Effects of Low-Level Lead (June 2012)

• Effects in Children and Adults due to Low Level Lead– “there is sufficient evidence for adverse health

effects in children and adults at blood Pb levels <10 μg/dL, and <5 μg/dL as well.”

• Did not directly address occupational exposures

CDC Advisory Committee for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention (January 2012)

• Recommended “Reference Value” for Children– 5 μg/dL, equal to 97.5 percentile• Updated every 4 years

– No longer using the “Level of Concern” framework• Will impact other standards which reference

CDC’s recommendations

OSHA-Industry Voluntary Blood Lead Reduction Agreement

• U.S. industry has voluntary removal and return levels well below OSHA requirements

• Five-year voluntary agreement (1997)• Reduced medical removal level to 40 µg/100g • Return rate reduced to 35 µg/100g • BCI members continue to implement

New Blood Lead Reduction Targets

• Following EU-U.S. industry coordination, the BCI Committees voted on June 11th to recommend BCI Board consideration of EUROBAT’s new blood lead reduction target of 30 µg/dL

• EUROBAT’s blood lead reduction guidelines will not be referenced; how to meet the target will be up to each BCI member

Current Cal OSHA Draft

• Removal• Single test ≥ 30 µg/dL; OR • Two tests ≥ 20 µg/dL

• Return • ≤ 15 µg/dL (two consecutive tests)

• PEL recommendation expected late 2013

Upcoming Cal OSHA Action• Cal/OSHA to combine MRP and PEL• OEHHA Pharmacokinetic White Paper on air-lead to blood lead

relationship expected later this Summer– Will be basis for CDPH PEL recommendation

• Next Steps– OEHHA submits modeling to CDPH (est. Q2 2013)– CDPH submits recommendations to Cal/OSHA (est. Q3/Q4 2013)– Cal/OSHA releases proposed rule (est. early 2014)– Cal/OSHA public meetings (est. early 2014)– Final Rule (UNKNOWN)

BCI National Data2011

• Battery manufacturing industry data: – mean 12.7– 97.6% < 30 µg/dL– 79.7% < 20 µg/dL

• Secondary smelter data – mean 14.2 – 95.1% < 30 µg/dL– 74% < 20 µg/dL

Particle Size Monitoring

• Battery study done 2012– Indicates significant

presence of larger lead particles known to be less harmful

• Smelter monitoring completed January 2013– Five smelters– Data analysis in progress

Thank You