Appendix D Food Codes for NHANES - OEHHA

Scientific Review PanelSRP Draft Version 2 February,June 2012
Based on a univariate regression, the average level of lead in breast milk was
about 7% the average level of lead in blood. OEHHA calculated similar estimates
of the milk/blood lead ratio from Li et al (2000), Counter et al (2002) and Ettinger
et al (2004) (see Table J.4-2).
Table J.4-2 Concurrent Measurements of the Lead Concentration (µg/L) in
Mother’s Milk and Blood
Study Blood Milk Blood Milk
(Nashashibi et
N AM,SD AM,SD GM,GSD GM,GSD
al., 1999) 47 149, 41.1 20,5 143.64, 1.31 19.4, 1.28
(Li et al., 2000)
(Counter et al.,
119 142.5, 69.14 5.63,4.39 128.21, 1.58 4.44, 1.99
2004)
(Ettinger et al.,
13 171, 91 4.6,5.3 150.96, 1.65 3.02, 2.51
2004) 88 a
(Ettinger et al.,
94, 48 1.4,1.1 83.72, 1.62 1.1, 2
2004) 165 b
(Namihira et al.,
95, 43 1.5,1.2 86.55, 1.54 1.17, 2.02
1993)
(Hallen et al.,
35 459, 198.8 29.94,25.75 421.19, 1.51 24.7, 1.86
1995) 39 c
(Hallen et al.,
31.4, 6.7 0.5,0.3** 30.71, 1.23 0.43, 1.74
1995) 35 d
(Baum and
31.7, 10.2 0.9,0.4*** 30.18, 1.37 0.82, 1.53
Shannon, 1996)
(Gulson et al.,
2 315, 35.4 5.02,0.50 313.03, 1.12 5, 1.1
1998b) 9 29, 8 0.73,0.7 27.96, 1.31 0.53, 2.24
a b c d
exclusively breast fed; partially breast fed; rural setting; near smelter; * < LOD
taken as 1/2 LOD as GM and 9.9 = max, **based on LOD of 0.5 µg/L and 2 out of 39
samples above LOD; *** based on 16/35 above LOD
Li et al. (2000) stratified milk lead levels by low, medium and high blood lead
levels. Their findings suggest that slightly higher transfer rates occur at low
levels relative to high levels of lead in blood (Li et al., 2000). This may be due to
more efficient transfer rates at lower body burdens of lead or it could result from
very slight breast milk contamination during collection and/or assessment.
J.4.2 Biotransfer from Bone to Blood during Pregnancy and Lactation
Lead transferred from blood to human milk reflects both the mother’s current and
ongoing intake of lead exposure as well as lead mobilized due to physiological
changes of pregnancy and lactation from bone stores due to past exposures.
Several studies provided indications of internal transfer of lead from bone stores.
Internal transfer was evident by comparing the rise in blood lead levels during
lactation to blood lead levels measured prior to lactation (see Table J.4-3).
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