CODA-CERVA is the Belgian National Reference laboratory (NRL) for the determination of trace elements in food and animal feed.
Adults and older children are mainly exposed to lead by its content in food and beverages while ingestion of household dust and soil is a major route of exposure for children, who spend considerable time playing on the floor or in the garden.
In the (human) body, lead is distributed to soft tissues (blood, liver and kidneys) and mineralizing systems (bones and teeth). Increased blood lead levels in children are associated with an impact on their intelligence (reduced IQ). In adults, high blood lead levels may lead to, amongst others, subtle effects on semen quality, anemia, loss of memory and loss of coordination.
Lead - Pb
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ELEMENT :
Lead metal: CAS N°: 7439-92-1
-atomic number: 82 -atomic weight: 207.2
-melting point: 327.5°C -boiling point: 1725°C (769°C)
IN A FEW LINES :
Lead (Pb) is a very soft, malleable, dense bluish-white metal belonging to the so-called group of heavy metals. Although it is naturally occurring in soil and water due to the weathering of soil minerals, it is often released into the environment from artificial sources. Lead is usually found in ores with copper, zinc and silver.
An increasingly important source of lead is recycling of Pb- containing materials.
Lead is a widely used metal: in lead-acid car batteries, as lead sheets in the construction industry, in PVC plastic, as ammunition, in crystals and ceramics, in scuba-diving weight belts, as fishing sinkers, as shielding from radiation, ... In the past, lead was used as a pigment in paints and as an anti-knocking agent in gasoline. These applications are banned in the EU since the 1990's.
The former use of lead in gasoline and historical emissions by non-ferrous metal producers have led to increased concentrations of Pb in soil, water and air. As Pb is strongly bound to soil properties, root uptake of Pb is very small and most of the Pb in above-ground plant parts is associated with atmospheric Pb deposition.
Adults and older children are mainly exposed to lead by its content in food and beverages while ingestion of household dust and soil is a major route of exposure for children, who spend considerable time playing on the floor or in the garden. 
In the (human) body, lead is distributed to soft tissues (blood, liver and kidneys) and mineralizing systems (bones and teeth). Increased blood lead levels in children are associated with an impact on their intelligence (reduced IQ). In adults, high blood lead levels may lead to, amongst others, subtle effects on semen quality, anemia, loss of memory and loss of coordination.
Classification according to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of 16 December 2008 :
Repr. 1A: H 360Df: May damage fertility or the unborn child
STOT RE 2*; H373**: May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure
Acute Tox. 4*; H332: harmful if inhaled
Acute Tox. 4*; H302: harmful if swallowed
Aquatic Acute 1; H400: Very toxic to aquatic life
Aquatic Chronic 1; H410: Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects
Reference: Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 december 2008 on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. Official Journal of the European Union L353/1. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:353:0001:1355:EN:PDF
NORMS AND LEGISLATION :
Maximum levels for lead in foodstuffs
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:353:0001:1355:EN:PDF
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 629/2008 of 2 July 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.
Maximum lead content in products intended for animal feed
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:353:0001:1355:EN:PDF
DIRECTIVE 2002/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 May 2002 on undesirable substances in animal feed.
Tolerable human intake levels
In June, with new data concerning in particular the toxicology and epidemiology of this heavy metal available, the JECFA reassessed lead. This assessment showed that the PTWI of 25 µg of body weight could be responsible for a drop of 3 points of IQ in children and an increase in systolic blood pressure (maximum pressure) of 3 3mm Hg in adults. These changes were deemed to be significant and the PTWI was cancelled as a result. The Committee concluded that it was not possible to establish a new PTWI which entailed no risk for human health. It confirmed that foetuses, nurslings and children were more sensitive to lead and that a chronic intake of lead through food of 0.6 µg per kg of body weight per day (for a child weighing 20 kg) could correspond to a drop of 1 point of IQ compared to the level of the population.
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jeceval/jec_1260.htm
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v21je16.htm
The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) issued its opinion in March 2010 and concluded that lead has the most harmful effect on the central nervous system of young children and on the cardiovascular system of adults. BenchMark Dose Low (BMDL) levels were determined for a certain number of points:
- Effects on the central nervous system of children: 0.50 µg per kg of body weight/day
- Effects on the systolic blood pressure: 1.50 µg per kg of body weight/day
- Chronic renal diseases: 0. 63 µg per kg of body weight/day
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1570.htm
