NIOSH lead blood level of concern?

• A. 15 ug/dL
• B. 25 ug/dL
• C. 35 ug/dL
• D. 45 ug/dL

Answer: (B)

Lead exposure is monitored by measuring the amount of lead in the blood, and there’s a specific threshold used by NIOSH to flag when action is needed. A blood lead level of 25 micrograms per deciliter is the level of concern because it indicates that current controls aren’t adequately protecting the worker, and steps should be taken to reduce exposure and to initiate medical monitoring or evaluation. This threshold is used to prompt investigations into lead sources, improvements in controls or engineering measures, and appropriate health surveillance. Values that are lower than this threshold don’t trigger the same level of intervention, while higher values would prompt stronger actions, but the commonly cited level of concern for occupational settings is 25 µg/dL.