Lead concentrations of milk, blood, and hair in lactating women.

Lead was measured in the milk of 39 lactating women to determine if the concentration posed a toxicological hazard to nursing infants. Blood and hair of these women were also analyzed for lead to establish possible correlations with milk, and to indicate body burdens. The women were categorized as rural or urban residents so that all mean values of lead could then be correlated with their locations. The mean levels of lead in milk, blood, and hair were 3, 119 ng/ml and 2002 ng/g (ppb), respectively. Lead levels in milk were not considered high enough to pose any threat to the nursing infant. Furthermore, the levels in blood and hair were below values typically cited as average. The three biological parameters did not correlate significantly with each other or with the location of these women. Therefore, it does not appear that the women in this study have high body burdens of lead, or that the nursing infant is at any risk of lead exposure via milk.