NCJ Number
58301
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
MEDICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF LEAD OXIDE EXPOSURE ON FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS IN METROPOLITAN NEW YORK POLICE AGENCIES ARE REPORTED, TOGETHER WITH THE RESULTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS OF THREE INDOOR FIRING RANGES.
Abstract
LEAD-RELATED SYMPTOMS WERE FOUND TO OCCUR WITH APPRECIABLE FREQUENCY AMONG THE FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS TESTED. (TEST PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 45 FULL-TIME INSTRUCTORS, 21 PART-TIME INSTRUCTORS, AND 16 OFFICERS WITH RELATIVELY LITTLE FIRING-RANGE EXPERIENCE). CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM SYMPTOMS (HEADACHE, DIZZINESS, FATIGUE, WEAKNESS, NERVOUSNESS, IRRITABILITY, SLEEP DISTURBANCES) AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS CORRELATED WITH BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF LEAD EXPOSURE, SUCH AS ZINC, PROTOPORPHYRIN (ZPP) LEVELS (AN INDICATION OF THE EFFECT OF LEAD ON BLOOD-FORMING ORGANS) AND BLOOD LEAD LEVELS. FIVE OF SIX FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS WITH MULTIPLE LEAD-RELATED SYMPTOMS HAD CLEAR BIOCHEMICAL, LEAD-INDUCED ABNORMALITIES. BLOOD LEAD AND ZPP LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN OFFICERS WHO WORKED ON INDOOR RANGES THAN IN OFFICERS WHO WORKED ON OUTDOOR RANGES. ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS OF THREE INDOOR RANGES INDICATED THAT INSUFFICIENT VENTILATION CAN RESULT IN CONSIDERABLE LEAD EXPOSURE FOR INSTRUCTORS, WHICH IN TURN CAN CAUSE CLINICALLY OBSERVABLE LEAD DISEASE. TO PREVENT LEAD DISEASE, POLICE AGENCIES ARE URGED TO FOLLOW RECOMMENDED DESIGN CRITERIA FOR FIRING RANGES; TO MONITOR PERSONAL HYGIENE, WORK SAFETY, AND HOUSEKEEPING PRACTICES; AND TO INCLUDE LEAD TESTS IN THE MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE OF FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS. (LKM)