Metals

What does the evidence say about lead in people?

CDC states that no safe blood lead level in children has been identified, and it set a blood lead reference value of 3.5 µg/dL that is a population marker, not a toxicity threshold. EFSA in 2010 did not set a new tolerable intake and published benchmark doses for developmental neurotoxicity, blood pressure, and kidney effects. EPA has not estimated an oral reference dose.

Reference values

CDC updated the blood lead reference value to 3.5 µg/dL. The saved MMWR page says 2.5 percent of U.S. children aged 1 to 5 years have a blood lead level at or above 3.5 µg/dL. CDC states that the value is not a health-based standard or a toxicity threshold, and that no safe blood lead level in children exists. The same page says venous blood is less likely to be contaminated than a skin prick. MMWR 2021.

EFSA in 2010, as recorded in the research corpus from the EFSA abstract, used a BMDL01 of 12 µg/L blood lead for developmental neurotoxicity, a BMDL01 of 36 µg/L for systolic blood pressure, and a BMDL10 of 15 µg/L for chronic kidney disease. The dietary equivalents recorded there are 0.50, 1.50, and 0.63 µg/kg body weight per day. EFSA judged the previous PTWI of 25 µg/kg body weight per week no longer appropriate and set no new health-based guidance value. EFSA 2010.

The ATSDR toxicological profile for lead (August 2020) derived no minimal risk levels. The corpus records, as checked against that profile, a blood elimination half-time of about 1 week to 2 years depending on age and exposure, and a bone half-time of about 1 to 2 decades, with bone holding most of the body burden. ATSDR lead profile.

EPA IRIS lists the oral reference dose for inorganic lead as information reviewed but value not estimated, last updated 8 July 2004. EPA IRIS lead. IARC, as cited by the ATSDR profile and recorded in the corpus, classifies inorganic lead compounds in Group 2A. The corpus records the evidence for organic lead compounds as inadequate, not as a Group 3 classification. IARC volume 87.

A provisional WHO drinking-water value of 10 µg/L is recorded in the corpus as checked via the ATSDR 2020 profile. WHO GDWQ. An FDA interim reference level was not opened in the corpus and is not stated here.

Blood lead in the U.S. population

These figures were read from the saved CDC National Report table for blood lead. Units are µg/dL. They describe the total U.S. population in NHANES 2017 to 2018 unless a row says otherwise. They are not toxicity thresholds.

Blood lead, NHANES, total population unless noted (µg/dL)
Survey years	Geometric mean (95% CI)	50th (95% CI)	95th (95% CI)	n
2017 to 2018	0.753 (0.723 to 0.784)	0.730 (0.690 to 0.770)	2.41 (2.24 to 2.67)	7513
2015 to 2016	0.820 (0.772 to 0.872)	0.780 (0.740 to 0.840)	2.75 (2.50 to 2.98)	4988
2013 to 2014	0.858 (0.813 to 0.906)	0.830 (0.780 to 0.870)	2.81 (2.49 to 3.14)	5215
2011 to 2012	0.973 (0.916 to 1.04)	0.930 (0.880 to 0.980)	3.16 (2.77 to 3.68)	7920
Ages 1 to 5, 2017 to 2018	0.670 (0.600 to 0.748)	0.620 (0.540 to 0.740)	2.02 (1.67 to 2.44)	629

Sources

Heavy Metal Index

Heavy Metal Index: Lead. This Heavy Metal Index URL returned HTTP 200 on 15 October 2026. Figures on this page are not copied from that index. They come from the sources named above.

What's safe to buy

The Heavy Metal Tested and Certified public register listed no licensees on 15 October 2026. That page reported 0 certified brands and 0 certified products, and it stated that no brand has completed the three-lot baseline. A specimen layout on the register is an illustration, not a licensee. This page does not name or rank any brand.

The program states that certification is a measurement of a product against a published limit, not a statement that the product is safe. If a licensee is later listed for this category, it will be on the register.

This page summarizes cited documents. It does not diagnose or prescribe. Reviewed 15 October 2026.