Lead: Human Health Effects

Lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, including the neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal systems. In adults, lead exposure can result in increased blood pressure, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems (including increased risk of birth defects or other problems with pregancies).

At high levels of exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system, which can cause comas, convulsions, and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning are often left with intellectual disabilities and behavioral disorders.