HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO LEAD IN FIRING RANGES

• NCJ Number: 58212
• Journal: Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 172-178
• Author(s): A FISCHBEIN; C RICE; L SARKOZI; S KON; W LORIMER; E HOLSTEIN; K ROSENMAN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

MEDICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF LEAD EXPOSURE AMONG FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

EIGHTY-TWO EMPLOYEES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA CONDUCTED FIELD EXAMINATIONS, INCLUDING OCCUPATIONAL AND MEDICAL HISTORIES AND A REVIEW OF SYMPTOMS. THE OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY INCLUDED AN ESTIMATE OF TOTAL ROUNDS FIRED PER MONTH OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LOCATIONS, ENABLING CLASSIFICATION OF 'INDOOR' AND 'OUTDOOR' INSTRUCTORS. COMPREHENSIVE PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED. THE INDIVIDUALS EXAMINED CONSISTED OF 45 FULL-TIME FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS OF THE POLICE FORCE PERSONNEL, 21 POLICE OFFICERS WITH SOME INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND 16 INDIVIDUALS WITH ONLY SPORADIC EPISODES OF SHOOTING ACTIVITIES. ONE-HALF OF THE POPULATION WERE BETWEEN 31 AND 40 YEARS OF AGE, ONE-THIRD WERE BETWEEN 41 AND 50. DURATION OF EMPLOYMENT WAS ALSO EXAMINED. FROM ANALYSIS OF THE DATA IT IS CONCLUDED THAT LEAD-RELATED SYMPTOMS MAY OCCUR WITH APPRECIABLE FREQUENTLY AMONG FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS. SUCH SYMPTOMS INCLUDE HEADACHE, DIZZINESS, FATIGUE, WEAKNESS, NERVOUSNESS, HYPERIRRITABILITY, SLEEP DISTURBANCES, AND GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYMPTOMS AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS CORRELATED WELL WITH OTHER BIOLOGICAL INDICATIONS OF LEAD EXPOSURE, SUCH AS ZINC PROTOPORPHYRIN AND LEAD LEVELS IN THE BLOOD. REGARDING FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS WITH MULTIPLE LEAD-RELATED SYMPTOMS, FIVE OF SIX HAD CLEAR BIOMEDICAL LEAD-INDUCED ABNORMALITIES. BIOMEDICAL INDICATORS SHOWED INDOOR INSTRUCTORS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WORKING WITHOUT SUFFICIENT VENTILATION, WERE SUBJECTED TO THE GREATEST EXPOSURE. ADHERENCE TO CURRENTLY RECOGNIZED DESIGN CRITERIA IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO MINIMIZE LEAD EXPOSURE AND TO PREVENT THE OCCURRENCE OF LEAD DISEASE AMONG INSTRUCTORS. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT EVALUATION OF LEAD EFFECTS BE CONSIDERED IN MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS OF FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS, PARTICULARLY BLOOD LEAD DETERMINATIONS. FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)