Measurement error and its impact on the estimated relationship between dust lead and children's blood lead

Mary J. Emond; Bruce P. Lanphear; Arthur Watts; Shirley Eberly; Michael Weitzman; Tanner M. Martin; Thomas Clarkson; Nancy L. Winter; Leslie Aptez; Mary Emond; Benjamin Yakir; Warren Galke; David Jacobs; Tom Matte; Scott Clark; Mark Farfel; John Graef; Joel Schwartz; Ellen Silbergeld

doi:10.1006/enrs.1996.3693

Measurement error and its impact on the estimated relationship between dust lead and children's blood lead

Mary J. Emond, Bruce P. Lanphear, Arthur Watts, Shirley Eberly, Michael Weitzman, Tanner M. Martin, Thomas Clarkson, Nancy L. Winter, Leslie Aptez, Mary Emond, Benjamin Yakir, Warren Galke, David Jacobs, Tom Matte, Scott Clark, Mark Farfel, John Graef, Joel Schwartz, Ellen Silbergeld

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective. Lead-contaminated house dust is a major contributor to lead intake among urban children, but the reliabilities of various dust lead measurement methods and their impact on the estimated correlations between dust lead and children's blood lead levels are unknown. Methods. Repeated field measurements of lead-contaminated dust from children's homes were taken from 16 housing units using five dust lead measurement methods. Estimates of measurement error were used to obtain reliability ratios for the dust lead measurements, which were then used to correct estimated correlations between lead-contaminated dust and children's blood lead. Results. Reliability varied over methods and surface types (from 0.0 to 0.8), but wipe loading and the BRM vacuum loading methods generally had greater reliability. Technician effects, inadvertent field exposure to lead, contamination of collection equipment, and laboratory instrument error were found to contribute little to total measurement error. Corrected correlations between blood lead and wipe loading measurements were 7 to 104% higher than uncorrected correlations. The multiple R² and partial R² for a wipe composite measurement in a multivariate regression model increased from 0.43 to 0.64 and from 0.053 to 0.26, respectively, after correction for measurement error bias. Conclusions. Variation in lead deposition within small areas and variations in collection inherent to the devices are major contributors to measurement error. Measurement error causes dramatic underestimation of correlation between lead-contaminated house dust and children's blood lead.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	82-92
Number of pages	11
Journal	Environmental research
Volume	72
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/enrs.1996.3693
State	Published - Jan 1997
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biochemistry
General Environmental Science

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10.1006/enrs.1996.3693

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Emond, M. J., Lanphear, B. P., Watts, A., Eberly, S., Weitzman, M., Martin, T. M., Clarkson, T., Winter, N. L., Aptez, L., Emond, M., Yakir, B., Galke, W., Jacobs, D., Matte, T., Clark, S., Farfel, M., Graef, J., Schwartz, J., & Silbergeld, E. (1997). Measurement error and its impact on the estimated relationship between dust lead and children's blood lead. Environmental research, 72(1), 82-92. https://doi.org/10.1006/enrs.1996.3693

Emond, MJ, Lanphear, BP, Watts, A, Eberly, S, Weitzman, M, Martin, TM, Clarkson, T, Winter, NL, Aptez, L, Emond, M, Yakir, B, Galke, W, Jacobs, D, Matte, T, Clark, S, Farfel, M, Graef, J, Schwartz, J & Silbergeld, E 1997, 'Measurement error and its impact on the estimated relationship between dust lead and children's blood lead', Environmental research, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 82-92. https://doi.org/10.1006/enrs.1996.3693

@article{34eb02ebaf9a40a8a50303cbb10855e2,

title = "Measurement error and its impact on the estimated relationship between dust lead and children's blood lead",

abstract = "Objective. Lead-contaminated house dust is a major contributor to lead intake among urban children, but the reliabilities of various dust lead measurement methods and their impact on the estimated correlations between dust lead and children's blood lead levels are unknown. Methods. Repeated field measurements of lead-contaminated dust from children's homes were taken from 16 housing units using five dust lead measurement methods. Estimates of measurement error were used to obtain reliability ratios for the dust lead measurements, which were then used to correct estimated correlations between lead-contaminated dust and children's blood lead. Results. Reliability varied over methods and surface types (from 0.0 to 0.8), but wipe loading and the BRM vacuum loading methods generally had greater reliability. Technician effects, inadvertent field exposure to lead, contamination of collection equipment, and laboratory instrument error were found to contribute little to total measurement error. Corrected correlations between blood lead and wipe loading measurements were 7 to 104% higher than uncorrected correlations. The multiple R2 and partial R2 for a wipe composite measurement in a multivariate regression model increased from 0.43 to 0.64 and from 0.053 to 0.26, respectively, after correction for measurement error bias. Conclusions. Variation in lead deposition within small areas and variations in collection inherent to the devices are major contributors to measurement error. Measurement error causes dramatic underestimation of correlation between lead-contaminated house dust and children's blood lead.",

author = "Emond, {Mary J.} and Lanphear, {Bruce P.} and Arthur Watts and Shirley Eberly and Michael Weitzman and Martin, {Tanner M.} and Thomas Clarkson and Winter, {Nancy L.} and Leslie Aptez and Mary Emond and Benjamin Yakir and Warren Galke and David Jacobs and Tom Matte and Scott Clark and Mark Farfel and John Graef and Joel Schwartz and Ellen Silbergeld",

note = "Funding Information: 1This work was funded in part by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Grant MLDP T0001-93, the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing, Columbia, MD, Institutional National Research Award (NRSA) 2T-32 PE-12002, and Faculty Development Grant 5D-28 PE-50008 from the Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA, PHS, DHHS. Approval for the study was received from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and all participating agencies, hospitals, and clinics.",

year = "1997",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1006/enrs.1996.3693",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "72",

pages = "82--92",

journal = "Environmental research",

issn = "0013-9351",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Measurement error and its impact on the estimated relationship between dust lead and children's blood lead

AU - Emond, Mary J.

AU - Lanphear, Bruce P.

AU - Watts, Arthur

AU - Eberly, Shirley

AU - Weitzman, Michael

AU - Martin, Tanner M.

AU - Clarkson, Thomas

AU - Winter, Nancy L.

AU - Aptez, Leslie

AU - Emond, Mary

AU - Yakir, Benjamin

AU - Galke, Warren

AU - Jacobs, David

AU - Matte, Tom

AU - Clark, Scott

AU - Farfel, Mark

AU - Graef, John

AU - Schwartz, Joel

AU - Silbergeld, Ellen

N1 - Funding Information: 1This work was funded in part by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Grant MLDP T0001-93, the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing, Columbia, MD, Institutional National Research Award (NRSA) 2T-32 PE-12002, and Faculty Development Grant 5D-28 PE-50008 from the Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA, PHS, DHHS. Approval for the study was received from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and all participating agencies, hospitals, and clinics.

PY - 1997/1

Y1 - 1997/1

N2 - Objective. Lead-contaminated house dust is a major contributor to lead intake among urban children, but the reliabilities of various dust lead measurement methods and their impact on the estimated correlations between dust lead and children's blood lead levels are unknown. Methods. Repeated field measurements of lead-contaminated dust from children's homes were taken from 16 housing units using five dust lead measurement methods. Estimates of measurement error were used to obtain reliability ratios for the dust lead measurements, which were then used to correct estimated correlations between lead-contaminated dust and children's blood lead. Results. Reliability varied over methods and surface types (from 0.0 to 0.8), but wipe loading and the BRM vacuum loading methods generally had greater reliability. Technician effects, inadvertent field exposure to lead, contamination of collection equipment, and laboratory instrument error were found to contribute little to total measurement error. Corrected correlations between blood lead and wipe loading measurements were 7 to 104% higher than uncorrected correlations. The multiple R2 and partial R2 for a wipe composite measurement in a multivariate regression model increased from 0.43 to 0.64 and from 0.053 to 0.26, respectively, after correction for measurement error bias. Conclusions. Variation in lead deposition within small areas and variations in collection inherent to the devices are major contributors to measurement error. Measurement error causes dramatic underestimation of correlation between lead-contaminated house dust and children's blood lead.

AB - Objective. Lead-contaminated house dust is a major contributor to lead intake among urban children, but the reliabilities of various dust lead measurement methods and their impact on the estimated correlations between dust lead and children's blood lead levels are unknown. Methods. Repeated field measurements of lead-contaminated dust from children's homes were taken from 16 housing units using five dust lead measurement methods. Estimates of measurement error were used to obtain reliability ratios for the dust lead measurements, which were then used to correct estimated correlations between lead-contaminated dust and children's blood lead. Results. Reliability varied over methods and surface types (from 0.0 to 0.8), but wipe loading and the BRM vacuum loading methods generally had greater reliability. Technician effects, inadvertent field exposure to lead, contamination of collection equipment, and laboratory instrument error were found to contribute little to total measurement error. Corrected correlations between blood lead and wipe loading measurements were 7 to 104% higher than uncorrected correlations. The multiple R2 and partial R2 for a wipe composite measurement in a multivariate regression model increased from 0.43 to 0.64 and from 0.053 to 0.26, respectively, after correction for measurement error bias. Conclusions. Variation in lead deposition within small areas and variations in collection inherent to the devices are major contributors to measurement error. Measurement error causes dramatic underestimation of correlation between lead-contaminated house dust and children's blood lead.

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DO - 10.1006/enrs.1996.3693

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JO - Environmental research

JF - Environmental research

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Measurement error and its impact on the estimated relationship between dust lead and children's blood lead

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