July 17, 2014 | ABC
The trigger for investigating lead exposure has been halved in new draft recommendations released yesterday by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Previously the level of lead in blood deemed to be of concern was 10 millionths of a gram per 100 millilitres of blood (or 10 micrograms per deciliter: μg/dL). However the new draft recommendations warn that people living in areas with no discernible source of lead pollution usually have blood levels lower than 5 μg/dL, therefore anyone with levels over this should be investigated for possible damaging exposure to lead. [...]