> The EPA adult lead model (ALM) was selected to estimate adult BLLs, as the EPA recommended this model for assessments of non-residential Pb exposures that result in BLLs <25 μg/L [43]. A baseline adult BLL of 1.27 μg/dL was used, which was the calculated weighted geometric mean of BLLs in adults aged 20 years or older during the 2005–2012 NHANES survey years [40].
> Gastrointestinal absorption of Pb was conservatively assumed to be 20%.
> The calculated CDI range for heavy metals in 1–3 servings of protein powder supplements identified by Consumer Reports were: 0.2–16.9 μg/day for As, 0–5.6 μg/day for Cd, 0–1.1 μg/day for Hg, and 0–13.5 μg/day for Pb.
> The calculated CDI range for heavy metals in 1–3 servings of protein powder supplements identified by the Clean Label Project were: 0.09–10.3 μg/day for As, 0.03–39.5 μg/day for Cd, 0.04–2.92 μg/day for Hg, and 0.09–15.9 μg/day for Pb.
> None of the estimated BLLs exceeded the CDC guidance value of 5 μg/dL, for all examined exposure scenarios. The highest estimated BLLs were 2.24 (+0.97 from baseline) μg/dL and 1.50 (+0.23 from baseline) μg/dL, using data from the US Consumer Reports and Clean Label Project, respectively.
> Overall, findings from this analysis suggest that consumption of protein powder supplements containing As, Cd, Pb, and Hg is not associated with an increased risk of non-carcinogenic health effects due to heavy metal exposure.
> The amount of Pb an individual ingests via food is largely dependent on the Pb concentrations found in the soil, air, and water that the food was grown in Bolger et al. [24], Khandekar et al. [25] and Marin et al. [26]. Anthropogenic sources of Pb, such as the proximity to industries producing Pb emissions impact the levels of Pb in food. According to IARC [27], in the United States, the estimated daily dietary intake of Pb is ∼83 μg/day (based on a market basket survey) [27]. However, dietary intake of Pb can vary depending on geological location, for example, the daily dietary intake may range from 7 μg/day (in Malaysia) to 230 μg/day (in Belgium) [27]. For comparison, the mean Pb exposure from ingestion of three servings of protein powder supplements was 3.52 μg/day; the highest daily exposure potential was 13.5 μg/day (calculated based on Consumer Reports data).
> Together, this analysis indicates that relative to the average daily human exposure potential reported for As, Cd, Pb, and Hg from food and drink, ingestion of protein powder supplements contributes to only a fraction of the heavy metal body burdens for each heavy metal. Further, even in individuals that ingest three servings of protein powder supplements per day (potentially in individuals ingesting protein powder supplements as meal replacements), daily heavy metal (As, Cd, Pb, and Hg) concentrations ingested are well below the reported average daily heavy metal concentrations ingested by the general population.
That’s the whole point of this article. Many people will consume multiple servings of protein shake per day for most of their life, and they’re contaminated.
With an average US blood lead level of about 1 microgram per deciliter, an increase of 76% is still less than 2 micrograms per deciliter which would have an imperceptible impact on any neurological function for an individual. People with even a tenfold (1000%) increase above baseline don't show perceptible coordination problems. Not writing to have an argument. Just see a lot of people who suffer from misperception of the impacts of tiny levels of contaminants, people lose sleep non-stop worry, sometimes even lose the equity in their "contaminated" house by walking away from their loan due to misinformation about risk.
This paper claims that the arsenic and cadmium levels are a bigger concern, but still not meaningful: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7509468/
> The EPA adult lead model (ALM) was selected to estimate adult BLLs, as the EPA recommended this model for assessments of non-residential Pb exposures that result in BLLs <25 μg/L [43]. A baseline adult BLL of 1.27 μg/dL was used, which was the calculated weighted geometric mean of BLLs in adults aged 20 years or older during the 2005–2012 NHANES survey years [40].
> Gastrointestinal absorption of Pb was conservatively assumed to be 20%.
> The calculated CDI range for heavy metals in 1–3 servings of protein powder supplements identified by Consumer Reports were: 0.2–16.9 μg/day for As, 0–5.6 μg/day for Cd, 0–1.1 μg/day for Hg, and 0–13.5 μg/day for Pb.
> The calculated CDI range for heavy metals in 1–3 servings of protein powder supplements identified by the Clean Label Project were: 0.09–10.3 μg/day for As, 0.03–39.5 μg/day for Cd, 0.04–2.92 μg/day for Hg, and 0.09–15.9 μg/day for Pb.
> None of the estimated BLLs exceeded the CDC guidance value of 5 μg/dL, for all examined exposure scenarios. The highest estimated BLLs were 2.24 (+0.97 from baseline) μg/dL and 1.50 (+0.23 from baseline) μg/dL, using data from the US Consumer Reports and Clean Label Project, respectively.
> Overall, findings from this analysis suggest that consumption of protein powder supplements containing As, Cd, Pb, and Hg is not associated with an increased risk of non-carcinogenic health effects due to heavy metal exposure.
> The amount of Pb an individual ingests via food is largely dependent on the Pb concentrations found in the soil, air, and water that the food was grown in Bolger et al. [24], Khandekar et al. [25] and Marin et al. [26]. Anthropogenic sources of Pb, such as the proximity to industries producing Pb emissions impact the levels of Pb in food. According to IARC [27], in the United States, the estimated daily dietary intake of Pb is ∼83 μg/day (based on a market basket survey) [27]. However, dietary intake of Pb can vary depending on geological location, for example, the daily dietary intake may range from 7 μg/day (in Malaysia) to 230 μg/day (in Belgium) [27]. For comparison, the mean Pb exposure from ingestion of three servings of protein powder supplements was 3.52 μg/day; the highest daily exposure potential was 13.5 μg/day (calculated based on Consumer Reports data).
> Together, this analysis indicates that relative to the average daily human exposure potential reported for As, Cd, Pb, and Hg from food and drink, ingestion of protein powder supplements contributes to only a fraction of the heavy metal body burdens for each heavy metal. Further, even in individuals that ingest three servings of protein powder supplements per day (potentially in individuals ingesting protein powder supplements as meal replacements), daily heavy metal (As, Cd, Pb, and Hg) concentrations ingested are well below the reported average daily heavy metal concentrations ingested by the general population.