Influence of dietary factors on the gastrointestinal absorption of lead

Gastrointestinal absorption of lead was investigated in mice after oral administration of lead acetate labeled with 210Pb. When doses of 0.2, 2 and 20 mg of Pb/kg were given, the magnitude of the dose did not appear to affect significantly the percent absorbed. The presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract reduced lead absorption when a tracer dose was administered but did not affect absorption after 2 mg of Pb/kg po. The chelators nitrilotriacetic acid and sodium citrate increased absorption of lead, as did orange juice, a source of citric acid. Milk and the chelating agents, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, did not affect significantly lead absorption.