Since lead quickly gets metabolized out of the bloodstream, are there other ways of quantifying it?

Question

Will hair or fingernails adequately display lead content in a person, if you were trying to determine how much lead had been introduced into their system over the preceding few months, as opposed to days (which is all that blood tests can show)?

Also, how is a person's cumulative lead exposure determined, if at all?

Answer 1

lead is not quickly metabolized out of the bloodstream, it is a heavy metal.

Lead is taken up by most tissues but, after equilibration is complete, more than 95% is deposited in skeletal bone as a lead phosphate complex. Lead is poorly excreted from the body and continued exposure causes tissue accumulation. The most important route of excretion is in urine, but normally this is less than 0.5 µmol/l.

http://www.trace-elements.org.uk/leadmet...

The CDC recommends having your child tested for lead poisoning at 6 months and then yearly if your home contains lead paint, or if you're exposed to lead at work or use lead in a hobby.

Doctors use a blood test to detect lead poisoning. A small blood sample is taken from a finger prick or from a vein. Lead levels in the blood are measured in micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL). An unsafe level is 10 mcg/dL or higher — a guideline set by the CDC.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lead-po...