Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance – United States, 2005-2007. CDC, US. April17, 2009. Work-related lead exposure remains a national occupational health problem, the research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) points to the need to strengthen prevention efforts by industry, government, labor, and a dedicated effort to strengthen the public awareness. Despite general reductions in prevalence rates of elevated blood lead levels in adults in the U.S, overexposure to inorganic lead continues to be an important problem among workers, according to new surveillance data reported by NIOSH. The trend underscores concern from recent research about the toxicity of lead even at low doses. The persistence of elevated blood-lead levels primarily due to workplace exposures, and a slight increase in 2006 and 2007 rates over the 2005 rate after declines since 1994, point to the need for stronger efforts by industry, labor, government, and others to reduce occupational exposures in sectors such as battery manufacturing, mining of lead and zinc ores, and painting and paper-hanging, and education of the public to prevent non-occupational exposures from recreational, home improvement, and food sources.Full text.