Title: 
Headings: Lead Compounds
Lead
 
Compounds

Hazard
 
Summary

Uses

Sources
 
and
 
Potential
 
Exposure

Assessing
 
Personal
 
Exposure

Health
 
Hazard
 
Information

Cancer
 
Risk:
Human
 
studies
 
are
 
inconclusive
 
regarding
 
lead
 
exposure
 
and
 
an
 
increased
 
cancer
 
risk.
 
Animal
 
studies
 
have
 
reported
 
kidney
 
tumors
 
in
 
rats
 
and
 

Physical
 
Properties

Conversion
 
Factors
 
(only
 
for
 
the
 
gaseous
 
form):
  
To
 
convert
 
concentrations
 
of
 
lead
 
in
 
gaseous
 
compounds
 
in
 
air
 
(at
 
25°C)
 
from
 
ppm
 
to
 
mg/m

References
Summary
created
 
in
 
April
 
1992,
 
updated
 
September
 
2011


Content: (1,2,3)
Lead
 
also
 
affects
 
the
 
nervous
 
system
 
in
 
occupational-exposed
 
adults. Neurological
 
symptoms
 
have
 
been
 
reported
 
in
 
workers
 
with
 
blood
 
lead
 
levels
 
of
 
40
 
to
 
60
 
µg/dL,
 
and
 
slowed
 
nerve
 
conduction
 
in
 
peripheral
 
nerves
 
in
 
adults
 
occurs
 
at
 
blood
 
lead
 
levels
 
of
 
30
 
to
 
40
 
µg/dL.
 
(2)
 
Children
 
are
 
particularly
 
vulnerable
 
to
 
the
 
neurotoxic
 
effects
 
of
 
lead. Exposure
 
to
 
low
 
levels
 
of
 
lead
 
early
 
in
 
life
 
have
 
been
 
linked
 
to
 
effects
 
on
 
IQ,
 
learning,
 
memory,
 
and
 
behavior. (1,2)
Exposure
 
to
 
lead
 
during
 
pregnancy
 
has
 
been
 
associated
 
with
 
toxic
 
effects
 
on
 
the
 
human
 
fetus,
 
including
 
increased
 
risk
 
of
 
preterm
 
delivery,
 
low
 
birthweight,
 
and
 
impaired
 
mental
 
development,
 
including
 
decreased
 
IQ
 
scores. These
 
effects
 
on
 
mental
 
development
 
have
 
been
 
noted
 
at
 
maternal
 
blood
 
lead
 
levels
 
of
 
10
 
to
 
15
 
µg/dL
 
and
 
somewhat
 
lower. (1,2)
Studies
 
on
 
male
 
lead
 
workers
 
have
 
reported
 
severe
 
depression
 
of
 
sperm
 
count
 
and
 
decreased
 
function
 
of
 
the
 
prostate
 
and/or
 
seminal
 
vesicles
 
and
 
suggests
 
an
 
impact
 
on
 
male
 
fertility
 
at
 
blood
 
lead
 
levels
 
of
 
above
 
40-45
 
µg/dL.
 
(1,2,3)
Human
 
studies
 
are
 
inconclusive
 
regarding
 
the
 
association
 
between
 
lead
 
exposure
 
and
 
other
 
birth
 
defects,
 
while
 
animal
 
studies
 
have
 
shown
 
a
 
relationship
 
between
 
high
 
lead
 
exposure
 
and
 
birth
 
defects. (1,2)
Cancer
 
Risk: Human
 
studies
 
are
 
inconclusive
 
regarding
 
lead
 
exposure
 
and
 
an
 
increased
 
cancer
 
risk. Animal
 
studies
 
have
 
reported
 
kidney
 
tumors
 
in
 
rats
 
and
 
mice
 
exposed
 
to
 
lead
 
via
 
the
 
oral
 
route. (1,2,5)
EPA
 
has
 
considered
 
lead
 
to
 
be
 
a
 
probable
 
human
 
carcinogen,
 
and,
 
under
 
more
 
recent
 
assessment
 
guidelines,
 
it
 
would
 
likely
 
be
 
classified
 
as
 
likely
 
to
 
be
 
carcinogenic
 
to
 
humans.(1,5)
Physical
 
Properties
Lead
 
is
 
a
 
naturally
 
occurring,
 
bluish-gray
 
metal
 
that
 
is
 
found
 
in
 
small
 
quantities
 
in
 
the
 
earth's
 
crust,
 
predominatly
 
in
 
lead
 
ore,
 
the
 
most
 
important
 
of
 
which
 
is
 
galena.