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February 5, 2026Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences2 citationsOpen Access

Lead in archived hair documents a decline in lead exposure to humans since the establishment of the US Environmental Protection Agency

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TCThure E. CerlingDFDiego P. FernandezKAKees Alter

Key Points

  • This research aims to evaluate the changes in lead exposure over the past century using archived hair samples.
  • Analyzed archived hair samples from individuals living along the Wasatch Front in Utah.
  • Measured lead concentrations in hair to assess exposure levels over time.
  • Compared current lead levels with historical data prior to the establishment of the EPA.
  • Current lead concentrations in hair are almost 100 times lower than before EPA was established.
  • The decline in lead exposure correlates with the implementation of environmental regulations.

Abstract

Lead (Pb) is well known to be toxic to humans. We use archived hair from individuals living along the Wasatch Front in Utah to evaluate changes in exposure to lead over the last 100 y. Current concentrations of lead in hair from this population average almost 100 times lower than before the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. This low level of lead exposure is likely due to the environmental regulations established by Environmental Protection Agency.

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Cite This Study

Cerling et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69843405f1d9ada3c1fb1a1bhttps://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2525498123
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