Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021) Lead Exposure Estimates 1990-2021

The Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021), coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), estimated the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors for 204 countries and territories and selected subnational locations.

This dataset contains estimates for blood and bone lead exposure and intelligence quotient (IQ) shift by year, location, age, and sex for the years 1990-2021. Blood lead exposure is measured as micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. Bone lead exposure is measured as micrograms of lead per gram of bone. Intelligence quotient shift is the number of IQ points an individual has below a score of 100 due to blood lead exposure. Estimates re also provided for the proportion of the population above a given threshold of blood lead exposure. Thresholds include 5 and 10 μg/dL. Estimates include the mean and 95% uncertainty intervals.