title: Hazard assessment of lead.
abstract: Exposure to lead (Pb) continues to be a source of concern for the US Food and Drug Administration and other United States federal regulatory agencies. Blood lead levels as low as 10 micrograms/dl have been associated with impaired neurobehavioural and cognitive development and electrophysiological deficits in children and reduced gestational age and birth weight in infants. Blood lead levels of 10 micrograms Pb/dl are also of concern in pregnant women because of exposure to the fetus. Blood lead levels of 30 micrograms Pb/dl have been associated with elevated blood pressure and other adverse effects in adults. Thus, the values of 10 and 30 micrograms Pb/dl represent lowest-observed-effects levels for developing and adult populations, respectively. The ingestion levels that result in these blood levels of concern were estimated to be 60 micrograms Pb/day for children ages 6 years or younger, 150 micrograms Pb/day for children aged 7 years or older, 250 micrograms Pb/day for pregnant women and 750 micrograms Pb/day for adults. Provisional total tolerable intake levels for lead were derived from these blood lead levels for each group by applying the Renwick approach to obtain a tolerable exposure level.
authors.affiliation: Division of Toxicological Review and Evaluation (HFF-156), Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC 20204.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Carrington
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bolger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D007854:Lead