Lead and its compounds

What is lead (Pb)?

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that can cause serious health effects in both adults and children. Lead and its compounds can build up in the body, particularly in the bones. Stored lead can then be released slowly back into the bloodstream, meaning blood lead levels may remain high, even after exposure.

Potential health effects from exposure to lead

Exposure to lead and its compounds can occur through

• Inhalation of dust and fumes
• Ingestion from contaminated hands, phones, vapes, food or drinking
• From a mother to her baby during pregnancy and through breastfeeding.

Lead exposure can cause health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and fertility issues. It is particularly harmful to children and the unborn child as it can interfere with their brain development.

Reproductive Risks

Lead and its compounds are key occupational reprotoxic substances that can cause adverse effects on both fertility and the development of the unborn child. It can also cause adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as low birth weight and even miscarriage.

Lead is classified as a Reproductive toxicant. Furthermore, Lead is considered a non-threshold reprotoxic substance, meaning there is no safe level of exposure for employees.

As it is not scientifically possible to identify a level below which exposure to lead and its inorganic compounds would be safe for the development of the offspring of female workers of childbearing age, where elimination, substitution or a closed system is not possible, employers should ensure that the occupational exposure of workers to lead and its inorganic compounds is reduced to as low a level as is technically possible.

The initial risk assessment shall give particular attention to employees at particular risk and to take account of the desirability of not having such employees present in areas where they may be exposed to reprotoxic substances.

In addition, a pregnant employee should inform her employer as early as possible so that a pregnant employee risk assessment can be carried out and any additional controls put in place.

New Biological Limit Value & Biological Monitoring

The current Biological Limit Value (BLV) for lead in Ireland is 70 micrograms of lead per 100 milliliters of blood (70 µg Pb/100 ml), as set out in the 2024 Code of Practice under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Chemical Agents) Regulations and the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Regulations.

This limit is currently being reduced in line with Directive (EU) 2024/869 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2024 amending Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 98/24/EC as regards the limit values for lead and its inorganic compounds.

The following extract from the forthcoming update, which transposes the requirements of the Directive, has not yet been published. It will come into effect on 10 April 2026.

Health surveillance is carried out if:

• exposure to a concentration of lead in air is greater than 0,015mg/m3, calculated as a time-weighted average over 40 hours per week,

or

• a blood lead level greater than 9μg Pb/100ml blood is measured in individual workers.

Health surveillance is also carried out regarding female workers of childbearing age whose blood lead level exceeds 4.5μgPb/100ml blood.

Recommended Biological Guidance Value

It is recommended that the blood lead level in women of childbearing age does not exceed the Biological Guidance Value of 4,5 μg/100 ml.