Online-only: Public health extras: News roundup on lead, carbon monoxide, hepatitis C and food and veterinary drugs
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* Donya Currie

## New online tool shows lead exposure by ZIP code

A new online Lead Risk Index allows users to examine lead exposure levels by ZIP code.

“It's important that parents know where to go to find out how at risk their children are,” said Gary Puckrein, PhD, president and CEO of the National Minority Quality Forum, which launched the online tool in late June.

He called the tool “essential to targeting public health resources, to finding children who are exposed to lead and to preventing future exposure through primary prevention.”

The Lead Risk Index charts the estimated number and prevalence of children younger than 6 with blood lead levels greater than 5 mcg/dL, which is the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference level for lead exposure, as well as the previous reference level of 10 mcg/dL.

The index is online at [www.leadriskindex.com](http://www.leadriskindex.com).

## UN food body sets rules on growth drug

The United Nations’ food regulating arm released new standards on food and veterinary drugs this summer.

In July, the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted maximum residue limits for the amount of the drug ractopamine allowed in the tissues of pigs and cattle. The drug is both a growth promoter and used to keep pigs lean. The new standards limit the drug to 10 micrograms per kilogram of pig or cattle muscle, 40 micrograms per kilogram in liver and 90 micrograms per kilogram of the animals’ kidneys.

Also in July, the commission strengthened regulations on melamine, seafood, melons, dried figs and labeling. The commission set a maximum limit on melamine in liquid infant formula. Melamine, a chemical used in many plastics and fire retardants, can be lethal when consumed at high concentrations and has been used illegally to increase protein content in food products.

For dried figs, the commission agreed on a safe maximum limit for aflatoxins, a group of mycotoxins produced by molds and known to be carcinogenic. Such aflatoxins can be found in dried fruits, nuts, spices and cereals at high levels if the products are not stored properly. The commission recommended that pre-cut melons should be wrapped or packaged and refrigerated as soon as possible to prevent bacterial contamination.

A new set of preventive hygiene measures were released to control foodborne viruses among seafood, and the commission recommended that food manufacturers globally label nutritional content on their products to ensure consumers are better informed. More on the recommendations is available at [www.codexalimentarius.org](http://www.codexalimentarius.org).

## Awareness can boost use of carbon monoxide detectors

People who know carbon monoxide detectors are required by a local ordinance may be more likely to use the detectors, a recent study found.

Published in the May/June *Journal of Public Health Management and Practice*, the study examined about 200 households in Mecklenburg County, N.C., where an ordinance requires installation of carbon monoxide alarms in existing or newly constructed residences with an attached garage, fossil fuel burning appliance or fireplace. The study found respondents who were aware of the ordinance were nine times as likely to have a carbon monoxide detector as those who were unaware of the requirement. Only about a third of the households surveyed were aware of the ordinance.

The study found carbon monoxide alarm prevalence was higher in the county than the national average, likely due to the ordinance. Researchers suggested such regulations “aimed at population-level adoption of preventive health behaviors” could help address the problem of carbon monoxide poisoning, which is a leading cause of poisoning in the United States.

## Hepatitis C virus levels higher among some injection drug users

Levels of hepatitis C virus found among injection drug users are higher among males and blacks, a study published in the July issue of *Hepatology* found.

The study also found higher levels of hepatitis C virus among injection drug users also infected with HIV. A 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report estimated almost 4 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C, which is a leading cause of liver cancer, end-stage liver disease and liver transplantation. Previous studies suggested a third of injection drug users ages 18 to 30 and up to 90 percent of older injection drug users are infected with hepatitis C.

“With such a high incidence and prevalence of hepatitis C virus among IDUs, it is important to understand the characteristics of the infection in this group,” said study lead author Thomas O'Brien, MD, MPH, of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute.

He said the study is the first to examine viral, demographic and genetic factors that impact hepatitis C virus levels among a diverse group of injection drug users.

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association