Adult blood lead epidemiology and surveillance--United States, fourth quarter, 1997.

CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program (ABLES) monitors laboratory-reported elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) among adults in the United States. During 1997, a total of 27 states reported surveillance data to ABLES. This report presents ABLES data through the fourth quarter for 1997 and compares the data for each quarter of 1997 with data reported for the corresponding quarter of 1996; preliminary totals for the fourth quarter 1997 reports suggest that the overall number of persons with BLLs > or =25 microg/dL were similar for 1996 and 1997.