Lead acetate in the yard and garden
High risk for your yardLead acetate presents a high risk to human adults. Inorganic lead compounds are IARC Group 2A (probable human carcinogen — kidney, lung). Lead acetate is highly soluble and orally bioavailable (~50% adult GI absorption vs ~10–15% for less soluble lead compounds). Occupational lead exposure (battery manufacturing, smelting, construction — lead paint abatement) causes neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hypertension, anemia (ALA dehydratase inhibition, heme synthesis impairment), and peripheral neuropathy at blood lead levels >10–20 μg/dL. OSHA Lead Standard (29 CFR 1910.1025) mandates biological monitoring (blood lead), medical surveillance, and removal from exposure when BLL >50 μg/dL (50 μg/dL — medical removal). Historical lead acetate hair products (US FDA banned 2019) represent a consumer risk eliminated by regulation.
What is lead acetate?
The IUPAC name is lead(2+) diacetate.
Also known as: lead(2+) diacetate, Lead(II) acetate, Lead diacetate, Lead di(acetate).
- IUPAC name
- lead(2+) diacetate
- CAS number
- 301-04-2
- Molecular formula
- C4H6O4Pb
- Molecular weight
- 325.0 g/mol
- SMILES
- CC(=O)[O-].CC(=O)[O-].[Pb+2]
- PubChem CID
- 9317
Risk for people, pets,
High riskLead acetate presents a high risk to human adults. Inorganic lead compounds are IARC Group 2A (probable human carcinogen — kidney, lung). Lead acetate is highly soluble and orally bioavailable (~50% adult GI absorption vs ~10–15% for less soluble lead compounds). Occupational lead exposure (battery manufacturing, smelting, construction — lead paint abatement) causes neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hypertension, anemia (ALA dehydratase inhibition, heme synthesis impairment), and peripheral neuropathy at blood lead levels >10–20 μg/dL. OSHA Lead Standard (29 CFR 1910.1025) mandates biological monitoring (blood lead), medical surveillance, and removal from exposure when BLL >50 μg/dL (50 μg/dL — medical removal). Historical lead acetate hair products (US FDA banned 2019) represent a consumer risk eliminated by regulation.
Regulatory consensus
4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Lead acetate. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IARC | 2006 | Group 2A — Inorganic lead compounds are probably carcinogenic to humans (IARC Monograph Volume 87, 2006); lead acetate (Pb(CH3COO)2; sugar of lead) is an inorganic lead compound with established renal tumor causation in rodent bioassays and epidemiological evidence for lung and stomach cancer in lead workers; classified Group 2A as part of the inorganic lead compounds evaluation | |
| EPA CTX / CalEPA | — | Known human carcinogen | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 7 positive / 7 negative reports) | |
| EPA CTX / Genetox | — | Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 7 positive / 7 negative reports) |
Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.
Where your yard encounter lead acetate
- Contaminated Water — Mining site runoff, Industrial discharge areas, Drinking water from old infrastructure
- Soil Contamination — Industrial sites, Smelter areas, Battery recycling facilities
- Food Chain — Fish from contaminated waters, Shellfish from polluted areas, Crops grown in contaminated soil
Safer alternatives
Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Lead acetate:
-
Process redesign to avoid hazardous intermediates
Trade-offs: May require significant R&D investment. Not always feasible.Relative cost: 2-5×
Frequently asked questions
Is lead acetate safe for your yard?
Lead acetate presents a high risk to human adults. Inorganic lead compounds are IARC Group 2A (probable human carcinogen — kidney, lung). Lead acetate is highly soluble and orally bioavailable (~50% adult GI absorption vs ~10–15% for less soluble lead compounds). Occupational lead exposure (battery manufacturing, smelting, construction — lead paint abatement) causes neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hypertension, anemia (ALA dehydratase inhibition, heme synthesis impairment), and peripheral neuropathy at blood lead levels >10–20 μg/dL. OSHA Lead Standard (29 CFR 1910.1025) mandates biological monitoring (blood lead), medical surveillance, and removal from exposure when BLL >50 μg/dL (50 μg/dL — medical removal). Historical lead acetate hair products (US FDA banned 2019) represent a consumer risk eliminated by regulation.
What products contain lead acetate?
Lead acetate appears in: Mining site runoff (Contaminated water); Industrial discharge areas (Contaminated water); Industrial sites (Soil contamination); Smelter areas (Soil contamination); Fish from contaminated waters (Food chain).
Why do regulators disagree about lead acetate?
Lead acetate has been classified by 4 agencies including IARC, EPA CTX / CalEPA, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.
See Lead acetate in the outdoor app
Look up products containing lead acetate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in outdoor View raw API dataSources (1)
- IARC Group 2A Inorganic Lead Compounds Vol 87 2006; Lead Acetate Sugar of Lead Roman History Defrutum Sapa; Grecian Formula Hair Darkening FDA Ban 2019; Renal Tubular Carcinoma Rats Mice Lead Acetate Bioassay; ALA Dehydratase Heme Synthesis Inhibition Anemia Porphyria; Neurotoxicity IQ Children No Safe BLL CDC 3.5 μg/dL; OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1025 Lead Standard 50 μg/m3; REACH SVHC Repr 1A H360Df; EU CLP Reproductive Toxicant 1A; WFD Priority Substance EQS 7.2 μg/L (2006) — regulatory
Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →