Lead

Chemical Groups: Inorganic, Metals

Also Known As:

CASRN: 7439-92-1

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Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life

Freshwater

Short Term Concentration (µg/L) No data

Long Term Concentration (µg/L) Equation

The CWQG for lead is related to water hardness (as CaCO₃):

When the hardness is 0 to ≤ 60 mg/L, the CWQG is 1 µg/L

At hardness >60  to ≤ 180 mg/L the CWQG is calculated using this equation (see calculator below)

CWQG (µg/L)= e^{{1.273[ln(hardness)]-4.705}}

At hardness >180 mg/L, the CWQG is 7 µg/L

If the hardness is unknown, the CWQG is 1 µg/L

The online calculator (below) will return the correct value over the entire range of hardness.

Enter water hardness here:
mg/L CaCO₃

Calculated lead guideline:
µg/L Pb

Note: No fact sheet created. For more information on this guideline, please refer to Canadian Water Quality Guidelines (CCREM 1987). Out of convenience, this guideline was presented as a range depending upon the water hardness in earlier versions of CCME (1999). It is now presented as an equation as it originally appears in CCREM (1987).

 

 

Date 1987

Marine

Short Term Concentration (µg/L) No data

Long Term Concentration (µg/L) No data

Date No data

Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Agriculture

Irrigation

Concentration (µg/L) 200

No fact sheet created. For more information on this guideline, please refer to Canadian Water Quality Guidelines (CCREM 1987).

Date 1987

Livestock

Concentration (µg/L) 100

No fact sheet created. For more information on this guideline, please refer to Canadian Water Quality Guidelines (CCREM 1987).

Date 1987

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Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life

Freshwater

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) ISQG 35 000

Guideline	% ≤ ISQG	ISQG < % < PEL	% ≥ PEL
Lead	5	23	42

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) PEL 91 300

Guideline	% ≤ ISQG	ISQG < % < PEL	% ≥ PEL
Lead	5	23	42

Date 1998

Marine

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) ISQG 30 200

Guideline	% ≤ ISQG	ISQG < % < PEL	% ≥ PEL
Lead	6	26	58

Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) PEL 112 000

Guideline	% ≤ ISQG	ISQG < % < PEL	% ≥ PEL
Lead	6	26	58

Date 1998

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Soil Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Environmental and Human Health

Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Agricultural Table

Soil quality guidelines for lead (mg/kg)

Notes: PSoQG_F = provisional final soil quality guideline; PSoQG_HH = provisional soil quality guideline for human health; SoQG_E = soil quality guideline for environmental health. Soil guidelines and the data used to calculate them are, by convention, always expressed on a dry weight basis to allow the data to be standardized. In case of doubt and if the scientific criteria document does not specify whether wet or dry weight is used, readers are advised to check the references provided.

^a CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 0.5-IQ point decrement when soil and additional site-related media contain elevated concentrations of lead (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.) to account for additional sources of elevated exposure and/or according to jurisdictional policy.

^b CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 1-IQ point decrement when soil is the only site-related media with elevated concentrations of lead. Where additional site-related contaminated media are expected to contribute to exposures (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.), CCME recommends using the 0.5-IQ point decrement to account for additional sources of elevated exposure. When using the PSoQG_HH based on 1-IQ point decrement, the environmental site investigation report should include information on all media that may be affected above background and fate and transport information.

^c Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a PSoQG_HH and an SoQG_E, the lower of which becomes the provisional final soil quality guideline for each land use.

Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Residential/ parkland Table

Soil quality guidelines for lead (mg/kg)

Notes: PSoQG_F = provisional final soil quality guideline; PSoQG_HH = provisional soil quality guideline for human health; SoQG_E = soil quality guideline for environmental health. Soil guidelines and the data used to calculate them are, by convention, always expressed on a dry weight basis to allow the data to be standardized. In case of doubt and if the scientific criteria document does not specify whether wet or dry weight is used, readers are advised to check the references provided.

^a CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 0.5-IQ point decrement when soil and additional site-related media contain elevated concentrations of lead (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.) to account for additional sources of elevated exposure and/or according to jurisdictional policy.

^b CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 1-IQ point decrement when soil is the only site-related media with elevated concentrations of lead. Where additional site-related contaminated media are expected to contribute to exposures (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.), CCME recommends using the 0.5-IQ point decrement to account for additional sources of elevated exposure. When using the PSoQG_HH based on 1-IQ point decrement, the environmental site investigation report should include information on all media that may be affected above background and fate and transport information.

^c Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a PSoQG_HH and an SoQG_E, the lower of which becomes the provisional final soil quality guideline for each land use.

Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Commercial Table

Soil quality guidelines for lead (mg/kg)

Notes: PSoQG_F = provisional final soil quality guideline; PSoQG_HH = provisional soil quality guideline for human health; SoQG_E = soil quality guideline for environmental health. Soil guidelines and the data used to calculate them are, by convention, always expressed on a dry weight basis to allow the data to be standardized. In case of doubt and if the scientific criteria document does not specify whether wet or dry weight is used, readers are advised to check the references provided.

^a CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 0.5-IQ point decrement when soil and additional site-related media contain elevated concentrations of lead (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.) to account for additional sources of elevated exposure and/or according to jurisdictional policy.

^b CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 1-IQ point decrement when soil is the only site-related media with elevated concentrations of lead. Where additional site-related contaminated media are expected to contribute to exposures (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.), CCME recommends using the 0.5-IQ point decrement to account for additional sources of elevated exposure. When using the PSoQG_HH based on 1-IQ point decrement, the environmental site investigation report should include information on all media that may be affected above background and fate and transport information.

^c Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a PSoQG_HH and an SoQG_E, the lower of which becomes the provisional final soil quality guideline for each land use.

Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Industrial Table

Soil quality guidelines for lead (mg/kg)

Notes: PSoQG_F = provisional final soil quality guideline; PSoQG_HH = provisional soil quality guideline for human health; SoQG_E = soil quality guideline for environmental health. Soil guidelines and the data used to calculate them are, by convention, always expressed on a dry weight basis to allow the data to be standardized. In case of doubt and if the scientific criteria document does not specify whether wet or dry weight is used, readers are advised to check the references provided.

^a CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 0.5-IQ point decrement when soil and additional site-related media contain elevated concentrations of lead (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.) to account for additional sources of elevated exposure and/or according to jurisdictional policy.

^b CCME recommends using the PSoQG_HH for a 1-IQ point decrement when soil is the only site-related media with elevated concentrations of lead. Where additional site-related contaminated media are expected to contribute to exposures (e.g., groundwater, food grown on site, etc.), CCME recommends using the 0.5-IQ point decrement to account for additional sources of elevated exposure. When using the PSoQG_HH based on 1-IQ point decrement, the environmental site investigation report should include information on all media that may be affected above background and fate and transport information.

^c Data are sufficient and adequate to calculate a PSoQG_HH and an SoQG_E, the lower of which becomes the provisional final soil quality guideline for each land use.

Date 2025

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Tissue Residue Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Widlife Consumer of Aquatic Biota

Concentration (µg/L) No data

Date No data

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Groundwater Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Environmental and Human Health

(Coarse Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Agricultural/Residential No data

(Coarse Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Commercial/Industrial No data

(Fine Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Agricultural/Residential No data

(Fine Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Commercial/Industrial No data

Date No data

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Resources

• Lead - Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life (1999)
• Lead - Scientific Criteria Document for the Development of the Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Human Health (2025)
• Lead - Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Environmental and Human Health (2025)