Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search


Here's how you know
 Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A **lock** (  ) or **https://** means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
 Explore Topics
 Search
	Clear Input
		Search


Lead in the Workplace
 About
											Symptoms
											Risk Factors
											Prevention
											Workplace Lead Exposure Trends
											Blood Lead Level Guidance
											Resources
											About ABLES
																View all
 View All


search
                close search Clear Input
		search
 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Menu
            Close Clear Input
		search
 Lead in the Workplace
 About
																							Symptoms
																							Risk Factors
																							Prevention
																							Workplace Lead Exposure Trends
																							Blood Lead Level Guidance
																							Resources
																							About ABLES
																						View All
																																				Home
 View All
						Lead in the Workplace


About Symptoms Risk Factors Prevention Workplace Lead Exposure Trends Blood Lead Level Guidance Resources About ABLES View All




Lead in the Workplace
 About Lead in the Workplace


Key points
 You can be exposed to lead while at work by breathing it in, swallowing it, or absorbing it through your skin.
Exposure to lead can cause health problems.
You can bring home lead on your clothes and other items, which puts your family at risk.
 image of the periodic table with lead highlighted
 Why it's an issue Lead is a metal that is most commonly used in construction, mining, and manufacturing. If you work near lead-containing products or materials, you may not know you are being exposed. Exposure to lead can cause health problems. Paint peeling off a wall.
The remnants of lead paint continue to be a major environmental and public health problem. Did you know?‎ history of lead use
 Health effects The health effects of lead are the same whether lead particles are breathed-in, swallowed, or absorbed through your skin. Did you know?‎
 In adults, exposure to **high** levels of lead may cause: Anemia
Kidney and brain damage
Infertility in both men and women
Death Other health effects of lead exposure Cancer Many believe that lead can cause cancer.123 Nerve damage Lead can impact nerve function in your body. Hearing damage Lead exposure has been found to impact the hearing system. Some scientists think exposures to lead AND noise together can damage hearing to an even greater degree than hearing loss caused by loud noise exposures alone. Heart disease4 Research shows the risk of dying from heart diseases, such as heart attack or stroke, is 2 to 5 times higher among people with higher blood lead levels. This relative risk is the same or higher than the risk of heart disease death associated with smoking, elevated cholesterol, and hypertension.5
 High risk populations If you work near lead, you can bring home lead dust on your clothes, shoes, and hair, among other things. This puts your family at risk. Pregnant people If you are exposed to lead when pregnant, you may also expose your unborn child. This is because lead can cross the placental barrier. Lead can damage a developing baby's nervous system6. It can also cause miscarriage and stillbirths.78 Keep Reading: About Lead and Other Heavy Metals and Reproductive Health
 Children Lead poisoning has happened in children whose parents accidentally brought home lead dust on their work clothes and other personal items. Children tend to show signs of severe lead toxicity at lower exposure levels than adults. However, most children with lead in their blood have no obvious symptoms. A blood test is the easiest way to determine if a child has been exposed to lead. Talk to your child's healthcare provider about getting a blood lead test. Keep Reading: Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Your Health
 Lead is stored and released Your body does **not**need lead to survive, but your body still stores it. Lead can be found in your blood and other tissues, but 90% is stored in your bones. As you age, your bones often weaken and become less dense. Aging often moves minerals out of bone and into other areas of your body. Lead stored in your bone, sometimes for decades, may then be released into your blood. If this happens, lead can reach and possibly harm other organ systems in your body. Many women undergoing menopause experience these changes. Post-menopausal women have been found to have higher blood lead levels (BLLs) than pre-menopausal women.910
 On This Page
	Why it's an issue
								Health effects
								High risk populations
								Lead is stored and released
  April 11, 2024 Sources Print Share
 Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Syndicate
 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
 References https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxProfiles/ToxProfiles.aspx?id=96&tid=22
https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris2/chemicallanding.cfm?substance_nmbr=277
https://publications.iarc.fr/Book-And-Report-Series/Iarc-Monographs-On-The-Identification-Of-Carcinogenic-Hazards-To-Humans/Inorganic-And-Organic-Lead-Compounds-2006
Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: a population-based cohort study - PubMed (nih.gov)
ACOEM Position Statement: Workplace Health and Safety Necess... : Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (lww.com)
Lead Exposure Symptoms and Complications | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | CDC
Guidelines for the identification and management of lead exposure in pregnant women (cdc.gov)
Fetal Death and Reduced Birth Rates Associated with Exposure to Lead-Contaminated Drinking Water | Environmental Science & Technology (acs.org)
Menopause and lead body burden among US women aged 45–55, NHANES 1999–2010 - ScienceDirect
ATSDR Lead Tox Profile (cdc.gov)


National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established NIOSH as a research agency focused on the study of worker safety and health, and empowering employers and workers to create safe and healthy workplaces. View All
 Lead in the Workplace About
													Symptoms
													Risk Factors
													Prevention
 Workplace Lead Exposure Trends
													Blood Lead Level Guidance
													Resources
													About ABLES
																			View All
 Sign up for Email Updates


Contact Us Contact Us Call 800-232-4636
							Contact CDC
 About CDC About CDC Mission & Organization
							Budget & Funding
							Careers & Jobs
 Policies Accessibility
									External Links
									Privacy
									Web Policies
 FOIA
									OIG
									No Fear Act
									Nondiscrimination
									Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
 Languages Languages Español
									Multilingual Content
 Language Assistance Español
											繁體中文
											Tiếng Việt
											한국어
 Tagalog
											Русский
											العربية
											Kreyòl Ayisyen
 Français
											Polski
											Português
											Italiano
 Deutsch
											日本語
											فارسی
											English
 Archive CDC Archive


Contact Us Contact Us  Call 800-232-4636
						Contact CDC
 About CDC Mission & Organization
						Budget & Funding
						Careers & Jobs
						About CDC
 Policies Accessibility
						External Links
						Privacy
						Web Policies FOIA
						OIG
						No Fear Act
						Nondiscrimination
						Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
 Languages Languages Español
						Multilingual Content Language Assistance Español
						繁體中文
						Tiếng Việt
						한국어
						Tagalog
						Русский
						العربية
						Kreyòl Ayisyen
						Français
						Polski
						Português
						Italiano
						Deutsch
						日本語
						فارسی
						English
 Archive CDC Archive





HHS.gov USA.gov