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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Lead. It 

is one in a series of Public Health Statements about 

hazardous substances and their health effects. A 

shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, is also available. 

This information is important because this 

substance may harm you. The effects of exposure 

to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the 

duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and 

habits, and whether other chemicals are present. 

For more information, call the ATSDR Information 

Center at 1-800-232-4636. 

This public health statement tells you about lead 

and the effects of exposure to it. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in 

the nation. These sites are then placed on the 

National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for 

long-term federal clean-up activities. Lead has been 

found in at least 1,272 of the 1,684 current or 

former NPL sites. Although the total number of 

NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known, 

the possibility exists that the number of sites at 

which lead is found may increase in the future as 

more sites are evaluated. This information is 

important because these sites may be sources of 

exposure and exposure to this substance may harm 

you. 

When a substance is released either from a large 

area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, 

such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. 

Such a release does not always lead to exposure. 

You can be exposed to a substance only when you 

come in contact with it. You may be exposed by 

breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by 

skin contact. 

If you are exposed to lead, many factors will 

determine whether you will be harmed. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), and how you come in contact with it. 

You must also consider any other chemicals you are 

exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, 

lifestyle, and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS LEAD? 

Lead is a heavy, low melting, bluish-gray metal that 

occurs naturally in the Earth's crust. However, it is 

rarely found naturally as a metal. It is usually found 

combined with two or more other elements to form 

lead compounds. 

Metallic lead is resistant to corrosion (i.e., not easily 

attacked by air or water). When exposed to air or 

water, thin films of lead compounds are formed that 

protect the metal from further attack. Lead is easily 

molded and shaped. Lead can be combined with 

other metals to form alloys. Lead and lead alloys 

are commonly found in pipes, storage batteries, 

weights, shot and ammunition, cable covers, and 

sheets used to shield us from radiation. The largest 

use for lead is in storage batteries in cars and other 

vehicles. 

Lead compounds are used as a pigment in paints, 

dyes, and ceramic glazes and in caulk. The amount 

of lead used in these products has been reduced in 

recent years to minimize lead’s harmful effect on 

people and animals. Tetraethyl lead and tetramethyl 

lead were once used in the United States as gasoline 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

additives to increase octane rating. However, their 

use was phased out in the United States in the 

1980s, and lead was banned for use in gasoline for 

motor vehicles beginning January 1, 1996. 

Tetraethyl lead may still be used in gasoline for offroad vehicles and airplanes. It is also still used in a 

number of developing countries. Lead used in 

ammunition, which is the largest non-battery enduse, has remained fairly constant in recent years. 

However, even the use of lead in bullets and shot as 

well as in fishing sinkers is being reduced because 

of its harm to the environment. 

Most lead used by industry comes from mined ores 

("primary") or from recycled scrap metal or 

batteries ("secondary"). Lead is mined in the 

United States, primarily in Alaska and Missouri. 

However, most lead today is “secondary” lead 

obtained from lead-acid batteries. It is reported that 

97% of these batteries are recycled. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO LEAD WHEN IT 

ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Lead occurs naturally in the environment. 

However, most of the high levels found throughout 

the environment come from human activities. 

Environmental levels of lead have increased more 

than 1,000-fold over the past three centuries as a 

result of human activity. The greatest increase 

occurred between the years 1950 and 2000, and 

reflected increasing worldwide use of leaded 

gasoline. Lead can enter the environment through 

releases from mining lead and other metals, and 

from factories that make or use lead, lead alloys, or 

lead compounds. Lead is released into the air 

during burning coal, oil, or waste. Before the use of 

leaded gasoline was banned, most of the lead 

released into the U.S. environment came from 

vehicle exhaust. In 1979, cars released 94.6 million 

kilograms (208.1 million pounds) of lead into the 

air in the United States. In 1989, when the use of 

lead was limited but not banned, cars released only 

2.2 million kg (4.8 million pounds) to the air. Since 

EPA banned the use of leaded gasoline for highway 

transportation in 1996, the amount of lead released 

into the air has decreased further. Before the 1950s, 

lead was used in pesticides applied to fruit orchards. 

Once lead gets into the atmosphere, it may travel 

long distances if the lead particles are very small. 

Lead is removed from the air by rain and by 

particles falling to land or into surface water. 

Sources of lead in dust and soil include lead that 

falls to the ground from the air, and weathering and 

chipping of lead-based paint from buildings, 

bridges, and other structures. Landfills may contain 

waste from lead ore mining, ammunition 

manufacturing, or other industrial activities such as 

battery production. Disposal of lead-containing 

products contribute to lead in municipal landfills. 

Past uses of lead such as its use in gasoline are a 

major contributor to lead in soil, and higher levels 

of lead in soil are found near roadways. Most of the 

lead in inner city soils comes from old houses with 

paint containing lead and previous automotive 

exhaust emitted when gasoline contained lead. 

Once lead falls onto soil, it sticks strongly to soil 

particles and remains in the upper layer of soil. 

That is why past uses of lead such as lead in 

gasoline, house paint, and pesticides are so 

important in the amount of lead found in soil. 

Small amounts of lead may enter rivers, lakes, and 

streams when soil particles are moved by rainwater. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

Small amounts of lead from lead pipe or solder may 

be released into water when the water is acidic or 

“soft”. Lead may remain stuck to soil particles or 

sediment in water for many years. Movement of 

lead from soil particles into groundwater is unlikely 

unless the rain falling on the soil is acidic or "soft". 

Movement of lead from soil will also depend on the 

type of lead compound and on the physical and 

chemical characteristics of the soil. 

Sources of lead in surface water or sediment include 

deposits of lead-containing dust from the 

atmosphere, waste water from industries that handle 

lead (primarily iron and steel industries and lead 

producers), urban runoff, and mining piles. 

Some lead compounds are changed into other forms 

of lead by sunlight, air, and water. However, 

elemental lead cannot be broken down. 

The levels of lead may build up in plants and 

animals from areas where air, water, or soil are 

contaminated with lead. If animals eat 

contaminated plants or animals, most of the lead 

that they eat will pass through their bodies. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO LEAD? 

Lead is commonly found in soil especially near 

roadways, older houses, old orchards, mining areas, 

industrial sites, near power plants, incinerators, 

landfills, and hazardous waste sites. People living 

near hazardous waste sites may be exposed to lead 

and chemicals that contain lead by breathing air, 

drinking water, eating foods, or swallowing dust or 

dirt that contain lead. People may be exposed to 

lead by eating food or drinking water that contains 

lead. Drinking water in houses containing lead 

pipes may contain lead, especially if the water is 

acidic or “soft”. If one is not certain whether an 

older building contains lead pipes, it is best to let 

the water run a while before drinking it so that any 

lead formed in the pipes can be flushed out. People 

living in areas where there are old houses that have 

been painted with lead paint may be exposed to 

higher levels of lead in dust and soil. Similarly, 

people who live near busy highways or on old 

orchard land where lead arsenate pesticides were 

used in the past may be exposed to higher levels of 

lead. People may also be exposed to lead when 

they work in jobs where lead is used or have 

hobbies in which lead is used, such as making 

stained glass. 

Foods may contain small amounts of lead. 

However, since lead solder is no longer used in 

cans, very little lead is found in food. Leafy fresh 

vegetables grown in lead-containing soils may have 

lead-containing dust on them. Lead may also enter 

foods if they are put into improperly glazed pottery 

or ceramic dishes and from leaded-crystal 

glassware. Illegal whiskey made using stills that 

contain lead-soldered parts (such as truck radiators) 

may also contain lead. Cigarette smoke may also 

contain small amounts of lead. The amount of lead 

found in canned foods decreased 87% from 1980 to 

1988 in the United States, which indicates that the 

chance of exposure to lead in canned food from 

lead-soldered containers has been greatly reduced. 

Lead-soldered cans are still used in some other 

nations. In the most recent studies, lead was not 

detectable in most foods and the average dietary 

intake of lead was about 1 microgram (a microgram 

is a millionth of a gram) per kilogram of body 

weight per day. Children may be exposed to lead 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

by hand-to-mouth contact after exposure to leadcontaining soil or dust. 

In general, very little lead is found in lakes, rivers, 

or groundwater used to supply the public with 

drinking water. More than 99% of all publicly 

supplied drinking water contains less than 

0.005 parts of lead per million parts of water (ppm). 

However, the amount of lead taken into your body 

through drinking water can be higher in 

communities with acidic water supplies. Acidic 

water makes it easier for the lead found in pipes, 

leaded solder, and brass faucets to be dissolved and 

to enter the water we drink. Public water treatment 

systems are now required to use control measures to 

make water less acidic. Plumbing that contains lead 

may be found in public drinking water systems, and 

in houses, apartment buildings, and public buildings 

that are more than 20 years old. However, as 

buildings age, mineral deposits form a coating on 

the inside of the water pipes that insulates the water 

from lead in the pipe or solder, thus reducing the 

amount of lead that can leach into the water. Since 

1988, regulations require that drinking water 

coolers must not contain lead in parts that come into 

contact with drinking water. 

Breathing in, or swallowing airborne dust and dirt, 

is another way you can be exposed to lead. In 1984, 

burning leaded gasoline was the single largest 

source of lead emissions. Very little lead in the air 

comes from gasoline now because EPA has banned 

its use in gasoline for motor vehicles. Other sources 

of lead in the air include releases to the air from 

industries involved in iron and steel production, 

lead-acid-battery manufacturing, and nonferrous 

(brass and bronze) foundries. Lead released into air 

may also come from burning of solid waste that 

contains lead, windblown dust, volcanoes, exhaust 

from workroom air, burning or weathering of leadpainted surfaces, fumes and exhaust from leaded 

gasoline, and cigarette smoke. 

Skin contact with dust and dirt containing lead 

occurs every day. Recent data have shown that 

inexpensive cosmetic jewelry pieces sold to the 

general public may contain high levels of lead 

which may be transferred to the skin through 

routine handling. However, not much lead can get 

into your body through your skin. 

In the home, you or your children may be exposed 

to lead if you take some types of home remedy 

medicines that contain lead compounds. Lead 

compounds are in some non-Western cosmetics, 

such as surma and kohl. Some types of hair 

colorants, cosmetics, and dyes contain lead acetate. 

Read the labels on hair coloring products, use them 

with caution, and keep them away from children. 

People who are exposed at work are usually 

exposed by breathing in air that contains lead 

particles. Exposure to lead occurs in many jobs. 

People who work in lead smelting and refining 

industries, brass/bronze foundries, rubber products 

and plastics industries, soldering, steel welding and 

cutting operations, battery manufacturing plants, 

and lead compound manufacturing industries may 

be exposed to lead. Construction and demolition 

workers and people who work at municipal waste 

incinerators, pottery and ceramics industries, 

radiator repair shops, and other industries that use 

lead solder may also be exposed. Painters who sand 

or scrape old paint may be exposed to lead in dust. 

Between 0.5 and 1.5 million workers are exposed to 

lead in the workplace. In California alone, more 

than 200,000 workers are exposed to lead. Families 

of workers may be exposed to higher levels of lead 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

when workers bring home lead dust on their work 

clothes. 

You may also be exposed to lead in the home if you 

work with stained glass as a hobby, make lead 

fishing weights or ammunition, or if you are 

involved in home renovation that involves the 

removal of old lead-based paint. 

1.4 HOW CAN LEAD ENTER AND LEAVE 

MY BODY? 

Some of the lead that enters your body comes from 

breathing in dust or chemicals that contain lead. 

Once this lead gets into your lungs, it goes quickly 

to other parts of the body in your blood. 

Larger particles that are too large to get into your 

lungs can be coughed up and swallowed. You may 

also swallow lead by eating food and drinking 

liquids that contain it. Most of the lead that enters 

your body comes through swallowing, even though 

very little of the amount you swallow actually 

enters your blood and other parts of your body. The 

amount that gets into your body from your stomach 

partially depends on when you ate your last meal. It 

also depends on how old you are and how well the 

lead particles you ate dissolved in your stomach 

juices. Experiments using adult volunteers showed 

that, for adults who had just eaten, the amount of 

lead that got into the blood from the stomach was 

only about 6% of the total amount taken in. In 

adults who had not eaten for a day, about 60–80% 

of the lead from the stomach got into their blood. In 

general, if adults and children swallow the same 

amount of lead, a bigger proportion of the amount 

swallowed will enter the blood in children than in 

adults. Children absorb about 50% of ingested lead. 

Dust and soil that contain lead may get on your 

skin, but only a small portion of the lead will pass 

through your skin and enter your blood if it is not 

washed off. You can, however, accidentally 

swallow lead that is on your hands when you eat, 

drink, smoke, or apply cosmetics (for example, lip 

balm). More lead can pass through skin that has 

been damaged (for example, by scrapes, scratches, 

and wounds). The only kinds of lead compounds 

that easily penetrate the skin are the additives in 

leaded gasoline, which is no longer sold to the 

general public. Therefore, the general public is not 

likely to encounter lead that can enter through the 

skin. 

Shortly after lead gets into your body, it travels in 

the blood to the "soft tissues" and organs (such as 

the liver, kidneys, lungs, brain, spleen, muscles, and 

heart). After several weeks, most of the lead moves 

into your bones and teeth. In adults, about 94% of 

the total amount of lead in the body is contained in 

the bones and teeth. About 73% of the lead in 

children’s bodies is stored in their bones. Some of 

the lead can stay in your bones for decades; 

however, some lead can leave your bones and 

reenter your blood and organs under certain 

circumstances (e.g., during pregnancy and periods 

of breast feeding, after a bone is broken, and during 

advancing age). 

Your body does not change lead into any other 

form. Once it is taken in and distributed to your 

organs, the lead that is not stored in your bones 

leaves your body in your urine or your feces. About 

99% of the amount of lead taken into the body of an 

adult will leave in the waste within a couple of 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

weeks, but only about 32% of the lead taken into 

the body of a child will leave in the waste. Under 

conditions of continued exposure, not all of the lead 

that enters the body will be eliminated, and this may 

result in accumulation of lead in body tissues, 

especially bone. 

1.5 HOW CAN LEAD AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

Scientists use many tests to protect the public from 

harmful effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways 

for treating persons who have been harmed. 

One way to learn whether a chemical will harm 

people is to determine how the body absorbs, uses, 

and releases the chemical. For some chemicals, 

animal testing may be necessary. Animal testing 

may also help identify health effects such as cancer 

or birth defects. Without laboratory animals, 

scientists would lose a basic method for getting 

information needed to make wise decisions that 

protect public health. Scientists have the 

responsibility to treat research animals with care 

and compassion. Scientists must comply with strict 

animal care guidelines because laws today protect 

the welfare of research animals. 

The effects of lead are the same whether it enters 

the body through breathing or swallowing. The 

main target for lead toxicity is the nervous system, 

both in adults and children. Long-term exposure of 

adults to lead at work has resulted in decreased 

performance in some tests that measure functions of 

the nervous system. Lead exposure may also cause 

weakness in fingers, wrists, or ankles. Lead 

exposure also causes small increases in blood 

pressure, particularly in middle-aged and older 

people. Lead exposure may also cause anemia. At 

high levels of exposure, lead can severely damage 

the brain and kidneys in adults or children and 

ultimately cause death. In pregnant women, high 

levels of exposure to lead may cause miscarriage. 

High-level exposure in men can damage the organs 

responsible for sperm production. 

We have no conclusive proof that lead causes 

cancer (is carcinogenic) in humans. Kidney tumors 

have developed in rats and mice that had been given 

large doses of some kind of lead compounds. The 

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 

has determined that lead and lead compounds are 

reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens 

based on limited evidence from studies in humans 

and sufficient evidence from animal studies, and the 

EPA has determined that lead is a probable human 

carcinogen. The International Agency for Research 

on Cancer (IARC) has determined that inorganic 

lead is probably carcinogenic to humans. IARC 

determined that organic lead compounds are not 

classifiable as to their carcinogenicity in humans 

based on inadequate evidence from studies in 

humans and in animals. 

1.6 HOW CAN LEAD AFFECT CHILDREN? 

This section discusses potential health effects in 

humans from exposures during the period from 

conception to maturity at 18 years of age. 

Studies carried out by the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the levels 

of lead in the blood of U.S. children have been 

getting lower and lower. This result is because lead 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

is banned from gasoline, residential paint, and 

solder used for food cans and water pipes. 

However, about 310,000 U.S. children between the 

ages of 1 and 5 years are believed to have blood 

lead levels equal or greater than 10 μg/dL, the level 

targeted for elimination among young children in 

the Unites States by 2010. 

Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than 

adults. Children are exposed to lead all through 

their lives. They can be exposed to lead in the 

womb if their mothers have lead in their bodies. 

Babies can swallow lead when they breast feed, or 

eat other foods, and drink water that contains lead. 

Babies and children can swallow and breathe lead in 

dirt, dust, or sand while they play on the floor or 

ground. These activities make it easier for children 

to be exposed to lead than adults. The dirt or dust 

on their hands, toys, and other items may have lead 

particles in it. In some cases, children swallow 

nonfood items such as paint chips; these may 

contain very large amounts of lead, particularly in 

and around older houses that were painted with 

lead-based paint. The paint in these houses often 

chips off and mixes with dust and dirt. Some old 

paint contains as much as 50% lead. Also, 

compared with adults, a bigger proportion of the 

amount of lead swallowed will enter the blood in 

children. 

Children are more sensitive to the health effects of 

lead than adults. No safe blood lead level in 

children has been determined. Lead affects children 

in different ways depending on how much lead a 

child swallows. A child who swallows large 

amounts of lead may develop anemia, kidney 

damage, colic (severe “stomach ache”), muscle 

weakness, and brain damage, which ultimately can 

kill the child. In some cases, the amount of lead in 

the child’s body can be lowered by giving the child 

certain drugs that help eliminate lead from the body. 

If a child swallows smaller amounts of lead, such as 

dust containing lead from paint, much less severe 

but still important effects on blood, development, 

and behavior may occur. In this case, recovery is 

likely once the child is removed from the source of 

lead exposure, but there is no guarantee that the 

child will completely avoid all long-term 

consequences of lead exposure. At still lower levels 

of exposure, lead can affect a child’s mental and 

physical growth. Fetuses exposed to lead in the 

womb, because their mothers had a lot of lead in 

their bodies, may be born prematurely and have 

lower weights at birth. Exposure in the womb, in 

infancy, or in early childhood also may slow mental 

development and cause lower intelligence later in 

childhood. There is evidence that these effects may 

persist beyond childhood. 

Children with high blood lead levels do not have 

specific symptoms. However, health workers can 

find out whether a child may have been exposed to 

harmful levels of lead by taking a blood sample. 

They can also find out how much lead is in a child’s 

bones by taking a special type of x-ray of the finger, 

knee, or elbow. This type of test, however, is not 

routine. 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE 

RISK OF EXPOSURE TO LEAD? 

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to 

substantial amounts of lead, ask whether your 

children might also have been exposed. Your 

doctor might need to ask your state health 

department to investigate. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

The most important way families can lower 

exposures to lead is to know about the sources of 

lead in their homes and avoid exposure to these 

sources. Some homes or day-care facilities may 

have more lead in them than others. Families who 

live in or visit these places may be exposed to 

higher amounts of lead. These include homes built 

before 1978 that may have been painted with paint 

that contains lead (lead-based paint). If you are 

buying a home that was built before 1978, you may 

want to know if it contains lead based paint. 

Federal government regulations require a person 

selling a home to tell the real estate agent or person 

buying the home of any known lead-based hazards 

on the property. Adding lead to paint is no longer 

allowed. If your house was built before 1978, it 

may have been painted with lead-based paint. This 

lead may still be on walls, floors, ceilings, and 

window sills, or on the outside walls of the house. 

The paint may have been scraped off by a previous 

owner, but paint chips and lead-containing dust may 

still be in the yard soil. Decaying, peeling, or 

flaking paint can introduce lead into household dust 

and the area where this is occurring should be 

repainted. If your paint is decaying or your child 

has symptoms of lead poisoning, you may want to 

have your house tested for lead. In some states, 

homeowners can have the paint in their homes 

tested for lead by their local health departments. 

The National Lead Information Center (1-800-532-

3394) has a listing of approved risk assessors 

(people who have met certain criteria and are 

qualified to assess the potential risks of a site) and 

of approved testing laboratories (for soil, paint, and 

dust). 

Sanding surfaces painted with lead-based paint or 

using heat to peel the paint may cause exposure to 

high levels of lead. Many cases of lead poisoning 

have resulted from do-it-yourself home renovations. 

Therefore, any renovations should be performed by 

a licensed contractor who will minimize exposure to 

household members. It is important for the area 

being renovated to be isolated from the rest of the 

house because of lead-containing dust. The federal 

government requires that contractors who test for or 

remove lead must be certified by the EPA or an 

EPA-approved state program. Ask to see 

certifications of potential contractors. Your state 

health department or environmental protection 

division should be able to identify certified 

contractors for you. The National Lead Abatement 

Council (P.O. Box 535; Olney, MD 20932; 

telephone 301-924-5490) can also send you a list of 

certified contractors. 

Families can lower the possibility of children 

swallowing paint chips by discouraging their 

children from chewing or putting these painted 

surfaces in their mouths and making sure that they 

wash their hands often, especially before eating. 

Lead can be found in dirt and dust. Areas where 

levels of lead in dirt might be especially high are 

near old houses, highways, or old orchards. Some 

children have the habit of eating dirt (the term for 

this activity is pica). Discourage your children from 

eating dirt and other hand-to-mouth activity. 

Non-Western folk remedies used to treat diarrhea or 

other ailments may contain substantial amounts of 

lead. Examples of these include: Alarcon, 

Ghasard, Alkohl, Greta, Azarcon, Liga, Bali Goli, 

Pay-loo-ah, Coral, and Rueda. If you give your 

children these substances or if you are pregnant or 

nursing, you may expose your children to lead. It is 

wise to know the ingredients of any medicines that 

you or your children use. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

Older homes that have plumbing containing lead 

may have higher amounts of lead in drinking water. 

Inside plumbing installed before 1930 is most likely 

to contain high levels of lead. Copper pipes have 

replaced lead pipes in most residential plumbing. 

You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in water, and 

boiling your water will not get rid of lead. If you 

have a water-lead problem, EPA recommends that 

anytime water in a particular faucet has not been 

used for 6 hours or longer, you should flush your 

cold water pipes by running water until it is cold 

(5 seconds–2 minutes). Because lead dissolves 

more easily in warm water than in cold water, you 

should only use cold water for drinking, cooking, 

and preparing baby formula. You can contact your 

local health department or water supplier to find out 

about testing your water for lead. If your water 

tests indicate a significant presence of lead, consult 

your water supplier or local health department about 

possible remedies. 

You can bring lead home in the dust on your hands 

or clothes if lead is used in the place where you 

work. Lead dust is likely to be found in places 

where lead is mined or smelted, where car batteries 

are made or recycled, where electric cable sheathing 

is made, where fine crystal glass is made, or where 

certain types of ceramic pottery are made. Pets can 

also bring lead into the home in dust or dirt on their 

fur or feet if they spend time in places that have 

high levels of lead in the soil. 

Swallowing of lead in house dust or soil is a very 

important exposure pathway for children. This 

problem can be reduced in many ways. Regular 

hand and face washing to remove lead dusts and 

soil, especially before meals, can lower the 

possibility that lead on the skin is accidentally 

swallowed while eating. Families can lower 

exposures to lead by regularly cleaning the home of 

dust and tracked in soil. Door mats can help lower 

the amount of soil that is tracked into the home; 

removing your shoes before entering the home will 

also help. Planting grass and shrubs over bare soil 

areas in the yard can lower contact that children and 

pets may have with soil and the tracking of soil into 

the home. 

Families whose members are exposed to lead dusts 

at work can keep these dusts out of reach of 

children by showering and changing clothes before 

leaving work, and bagging their work clothes before 

they are brought into the home for cleaning. Proper 

ventilation and cleaning—during and after hobby 

activities, home or auto repair activities, and hair 

coloring with products that contain lead—will 

decrease the possibility of exposure. 

Lead-containing dust may be deposited on plant 

surfaces and lead may be taken up in certain edible 

plants from the soil by the roots; therefore, home 

gardening may also contribute to exposure if the 

produce is grown in soils that have high lead 

concentrations. Vegetables should be well washed 

before eating to remove surface deposits. Certain 

hobbies and home or car repair activities like 

radiator repair can add lead to the home as well. 

These include soldering glass or metal, making 

bullets or slugs, or glazing pottery. Some types of 

paints and pigments that are used as facial make-up 

or hair coloring contain lead. Cosmetics that 

contain lead include surma and kohl, which are 

popular in certain Asian countries. Read the labels 

on hair coloring products, and keep hair dyes that 

contain lead acetate away from children. Do not 

allow children to touch hair that has been colored 

with lead-containing dyes or any surfaces that have 

come into contact with these dyes because lead 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

compounds can rub off onto their hands and be 

transferred to their mouths. 

It is important that children have proper nutrition 

and eat a balanced diet of foods that supply 

adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, 

especially calcium and iron. Good nutrition lowers 

the amount of swallowed lead that passes to the 

bloodstream and also may lower some of the toxic 

effects of lead. 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO LEAD? 

The amount of total lead in the blood can be 

measured to determine if exposure to lead has 

occurred. This test shows if you have been recently 

exposed to lead. Lead can be measured in teeth or 

bones by x-ray techniques, but these methods are 

not widely available. These tests show long-term 

exposures to lead. The primary screening method is 

measurement of blood lead. Exposure to lead also 

can be evaluated by measuring erythrocyte 

protoporphyrin (EP) in blood samples. EP is a part 

of red blood cells known to increase when the 

amount of lead in the blood is high. However, the 

EP level is not sensitive enough to identify children 

with elevated blood lead levels below about 

25 micrograms per deciliter (μg/dL). These tests 

usually require special analytical equipment that is 

not available in a doctor’s office. However, your 

doctor can draw blood samples and send them to 

appropriate laboratories for analysis. 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. The EPA, the 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) are some federal agencies that develop 

regulations for toxic substances. Recommendations 

provide valuable guidelines to protect public health, 

but cannot be enforced by law. The Agency for 

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 

and the National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health (NIOSH) are two federal organizations 

that develop recommendations for toxic substances. 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

as “not-to-exceed” levels, that is, levels of a toxic 

substance in air, water, soil, or food that do not 

exceed a critical value that is usually based on 

levels that affect animals; they are then adjusted to 

levels that will help protect humans. Sometimes 

these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal 

organizations because they used different exposure 

times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), 

different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also updated 

periodically as more information becomes available. 

For the most current information, check with the 

federal agency or organization that provides it. 

Some regulations and recommendations for lead 

include the following: 

CDC recommends that states develop a plan to find 

children who may be exposed to lead and have their 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

blood tested for lead. CDC recommends that the 

states test children: 

• at ages 1 and 2 years; 

• at ages 3–6 years if they have never 

been tested for lead; 

• if they receive services from public 

assistance programs for the poor 

such as Medicaid or the 

Supplemental Food Program for 

Women, Infants, and Children; 

• if they live in a building or 

frequently visit a house built before 

1950; 

• if they visit a home (house or 

apartment) built before 1978 that has 

been recently remodeled; and/or 

• if they have a brother, sister, or 

playmate who has had lead 

poisoning. 

CDC considers children to have an elevated level of 

lead if the amount of lead in the blood is at least 

10 μg/dL. Many states or local programs provide 

intervention to individual children with blood lead 

levels equal to or greater than 10 μg/dL. Medical 

evaluation and environmental investigation and 

remediation should be done for all children with 

blood lead levels equal to or greater than 20 μg/dL. 

Medical treatment (i.e., chelation therapy) may be 

necessary in children if the lead concentration in 

blood is higher than 45 μg/dL. 

EPA requires that the concentration of lead in air 

that the public breathes be no higher than 

1.5 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) averaged 

over 3 months. EPA regulations no longer allow 

lead in gasoline. The Clean Air Act Amendments 

(CAAA) of 1990 banned the sale of leaded gasoline 

as of December 31, 1995. 

Under the Lead Copper Rule (LCR), EPA requires 

testing of public water systems, and if more than 

10% of the samples at residences contain lead levels 

over 0.015 milligrams per liter (mg/L), actions must 

be taken to lower these levels. Testing for lead in 

drinking water in schools is not required unless a 

school is regulated under a public water system. 

The 1988 Lead Contamination Control Act (LCCA) 

was created to help reduce lead in drinking water at 

schools and daycare centers. The LCCA created 

lead monitoring and reporting requirements for 

schools, as well as the replacement of fixtures that 

contain high levels of lead. However, the 

provisions in the LCCA are not enforceable by the 

federal government and individual states have the 

option to voluntarily comply with these provisions 

or create their own. 

To help protect small children, the Consumer 

Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requires that 

the concentration of lead in most paints available 

through normal consumer channels be not more 

than 0.06%. The Federal Hazardous Substance Act 

(FHSA) bans children’s products containing 

hazardous amounts of lead. 

The Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD) develops recommendations 

and regulations to prevent exposure to lead. HUD 

requires that federally funded housing and 

renovations, Public and Indian housing be tested for 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

lead-based paint hazards and that such hazards be 

fixed by covering the paint or removing it. When 

determining whether lead-based paint applied to 

interior or exterior painted surfaces of dwellings 

should be removed, the standard used by EPA and 

HUD is that paint with a lead concentration equal to 

or greater than 1.0 milligram per square centimeter 

(mg/cm2) of surface area should be removed or 

otherwise treated. HUD is carrying out 

demonstration projects to determine the best ways 

of covering or removing lead-based paint in 

housing. 

EPA has developed standards for lead-paint 

hazards, lead in dust, and lead in soil. To educate 

parents, homeowners, and tenants about lead 

hazards, lead poisoning prevention in the home, and 

the lead abatement process, EPA has published 

several general information pamphlets. Copies of 

these pamphlets can be obtained from the National 

Lead Information Center or from various Internet 

sites, including http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead. 

OSHA regulations limit the concentration of lead in 

workroom air to 50 μg/m3

 for an 8-hour workday. 

If a worker has a blood lead level of 50 μg/dL or 

higher, then OSHA requires that the worker be 

removed from the workroom where lead exposure is 

occurring. 

FDA includes lead on its list of poisonous and 

deleterious substances. FDA considers foods 

packaged in cans containing lead solders to be 

unsafe. Tin-coated lead foil has been used as a 

covering applied over the cork and neck areas of 

wine bottles for decorative purposes and to prevent 

insect infestations. Because it can be reasonably 

expected that lead could become a component of the 

wine, the use of such foil is also a violation of the 

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. FDA has 

reviewed several direct human food ingredients 

(i.e., food dyes) and has determined them to be 

“generally recognized as safe” when used in 

accordance with current good manufacturing 

practices. Some of these ingredients contain 

allowable lead concentrations that range from 0.1 to 

10 ppm. 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department, or contact 

ATSDR at the address and phone number below. 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses that result from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

Toxicological profiles are also available on-line at 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov and on CD-ROM. You may 

request a copy of the ATSDR ToxProfilesTM 

CD-ROM by calling the toll-free information and 

technical assistance number at 1-800-CDCINFO 

(1-800-232-4636), by e-mail at cdcinfo@cdc.gov, 

or by writing to: 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Lead 

CAS#: 7439-92-1 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine August 2007 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental 

Medicine 

1600 Clifton Road NE 

Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Fax: 1-770-488-4178 

Organizations for-profit may request copies of final 

Toxicological Profiles from the following: 

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 1-800-553-6847 or 1-703-605-6000 

Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/ 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-800-232-4636 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov