ABSTRACT
This chapter explains interpretation of internal lead levels as diagnosis criteria of suspected lead toxicity in mammals. In wild populations of small mammals in natural duneland area background blood lead levels of 4 g/dL were measured in bank voles and 8 g/dL in wood mice. Background blood lead in humans generally show mean values in range 2-5 g/dL and thus are similar as those in mammals. For mammals a blood lead level of 18g/dL has been suggested as safe level for regulatory purposes to protect mammalian wildlife against risk of toxic lead exposure. The risk of exposure of wild mammals to lead present in polluted soils is greatly dependent on the bioavailability for uptake in vegetation and invertebrate soil organisms utilized as food. The importance of bioavailability for the exposure of wild mammals to lead-polluted soil is illustrated for two smelter areas on a similar type of sandy soil with a similar total amount of lead but different availability.
