New Draft Toxicological Profile for Lead Published

A new draft toxicological profile for lead is now available for review and public comment from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. According to ATSDR, the general population is primarily exposed to lead via the oral route, with some contribution from the inhalation route. The agency notes that inhalation exposures can be more important in occupational settings, depending on the particle size. Occupational exposure to organic lead compounds may also involve dermal absorption as an exposure route. ATSDR’s profile for lead does not attempt to separate health effects by route of exposure because “the primary systemic toxic effects of [lead] are the same regardless of the route of entry into the body.”

The draft toxicological profile for lead is available for download from the ATSDR website. New draft toxicological profiles for 2-butanone, dinitrophenols, 1,2-diphenylhydrazine, endrin, mirex and chlordecone, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane are also available. Comments on the draft profiles are due by Aug. 7, 2019. More information on submitting comments is available in the Federal Register.

ATSDR toxicological profiles characterize the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for hazardous substances. Each peer-reviewed profile identifies and reviews the key literature that describes a substance's toxicological properties. Health and toxicologic information on the potential for human exposure; chemical and physical properties; regulations and guidelines; and production, import, use, and disposal can also be found in ATSDR’s toxicological profiles. A full list of toxic substances with published profiles is available on the agency’s website.