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Worst
Case Lead Poisoning and
Tasmanian Government Inaction (continued)
By
Elizabeth O'Brien, Manager, Lead Advisory Service
Australia
Edited by Paul Spencer, activist and roving volunteer
Information
Gathered and Ignored
Adrian
Oates' 1st blood lead test result was 31.7 µg/dL. The repeat result was 33.3 µg/dL. Lead
concentrations equal to or greater than 15 µg/dL are a notifiable disease.
In
opposition to the NHMRC guidelines listed above, Adrian was not referred to a
paediatrician on the basis of this blood lead result and no environmental assessment was
carried out.
According
to John Devlin, Environmental Health Officer at West Coast Council, the Director of
Public Health did not notify the West Coast council of this blood lead result
(pers
comm. with E O'Brien 28 Sep 2000). The lower of the two results was later reported in
the Menzies Centre study but the summary of the study presented to the West Coast Council
on 21 June 2000, did not specifically mention this result or give the number of children
with a notifiable blood lead level.
Makayla
Oates' 1st blood lead test result was 9.5 µg/dL. Denise's grandson (her
daughter's son) Alex had a blood lead level of 18 µg/dL according to Denise but Denise's
daughter was not notified or given any information on lowering the blood lead level. Alex
was required to have another blood lead test in three months time.
Denise
Oates says that the 1st blood lead test on Adrian was so high that a second
test was carried out. Adrian was re-tested (March 1998) but she was apparently not
notified of the result or telephoned with advice. Adrian Oates’ 2nd blood
lead test result was 32.1 µg/dL. In opposition to the NHMRC guidelines listed
above, Adrian was not referred to a paediatrician on the basis of this blood lead result
and no environmental assessment was carried out.
On
the 2nd April 1998, Dr Mark Jacobs, Director of Public Health issued Public
Health Act 1997 Guideline No. 1 "Notifiable Diseases, Human Pathogenic Organisms
and Contaminants" which listed "Lead poisoning (whole blood lead level
greater than 15 µg/dL or 0.72 µmol/L, not related to an occupational exposure)" as
a disease to be notified by a laboratory within one working day.
Adrian
was referred to a paediatrician because Adrian's mother was concerned about his difficult
behaviour. The paediatrician was concerned about Adrian's delayed speech and ordered some
blood tests. He included a lead test after Denise told him that Adrian had had high blood
lead levels in 1997. Adrian's 3rd blood lead (PbB) test was on the 20th
January 1999 and the result was 41.7 µg/dL. The paediatrician ordered repeat blood lead
tests for Adrian every 3 months after this. The results of the family’s subsequent
blood lead tests are summarised here and appear in the graph.
13
Apr 1999 Adrian's 4th PbB result = 35.6 µg/dL.
15
Jun 1999 Makayla's 2nd PbB result = 38.6 µg/dL.
5
Jul 1999 Adrian's 5th PbB result = 38.7 µg/dL.
4
Aug 1999 Raymond's 1st PbB result = 18.3 µg/dL.
4
Aug 1999 Tyler's 1st PbB result = 20.0 µg/dL.
9
Sep 1999 Adrian's 6th PbB result = 28.8 µg/dL.
12
Jan 2000 Adrian's 7th PbB result = 32.6 µg/dL.
29
Feb 2000 Makayla's 3rd PbB result = 28.1 µg/dL.
2
Jun 2000 Adrian's 8th PbB result = 40.0 µg/dL.
2
Jun 2000 Denise's 1st PbB result = 3.0 µg/dL.
24
Jul 2000 Tyler’s 2nd PbB result = 22.6 µg/dL.
2
Aug 2000 Adrian's 9th PbB result = 36.6 µg/dL.
As
required by regulation, a copy of the results of all the above tests (except for
Denise’s acceptably low result) were apparently sent to the Director of Public
Health. According to John Devlin, Environmental Health Officer at West Coast Council,
the
Director of Public Health did not notify the council of any of these blood lead
results (personal comments 28 Sep 2000 and 16 Oct 2000).
According
to Denise Oates, Adrian and Makayla and her grandson Alex
were blood lead tested in December 1997 for a survey
carried out by the Menzies Centre for Population Health
Research. She says that her son Tyler was said to be too
young to be included in the survey - he was 10 months old.
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