The relationship between iron and lead absorption in humans.

Approximately 60% of an oral dose of 100 micrograms of 203Pb was retained in 85 fasting subjects with no difference noted between males and females. Body retention was proportional to dose up to 400 micrograms of lead. It was not related to the capacity to absorb iron or to the size of body iron stores, nor was it affected by the simultaneous ingestion of a 10-fold molar excess of iron. The effect of several dietary factors was also determined. Lead retention was lowered by eating food, slightly increased by ingestion of fat, but was unaffected by the administration of lactose or a 10-fold molar excess of zinc, cobalt, or calcium. One chelating agent, ascorbic acid, slightly lowered lead retention, whereas another agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, produced a marked reduction. Several of these results suggest that human gastrointestinal lead absorption behaves differently to that of rodents. In particular, human lead retention was found to be unrelated to iron absorption or to body iron stores.