Lead (Pb) Test

Test Overview

This test measures the amount of lead in a person's blood. Lead is a poisonous (toxic) metal that can damage the brain and other parts of the body. A lead test may be done on blood taken from the vein, a finger (finger stick), or the heel (heel stick).

A person can be exposed to lead:

• By eating or drinking lead-contaminated foods, water, or other material (such as paint chips).
• By breathing dust or smoke containing lead.
• Through skin contact with lead.

There is no safe age to be exposed to lead. A pregnant woman who is exposed to lead can pass it to her baby (fetus). Lead can also be passed to a baby through the mother's breast milk.