铅对人体的危害性近世纪来已是众所皆知了。但是，对于铅的管制标准值应如何订定，却一直未见定论。近年来，更由于职业场所容许暴露剂量标准日趋严格，对于铅暴露标准值之界定越加困难。至于铅对胎儿与发育中儿童脑神经伤害近来已受到更多的关注，而铅自骨骼中释出的机率也不断地重新评估，所以，曾发生职业露的妇女，在妊娠、哺乳期间是否会影响胎儿与新生儿似应受到更多的重视。因此，就职业卫生与公共卫生观点而言，铅管制标准实有检讨降低之必要。
    The toxic effects of lead have been well established and welldocumented for centuries. However, there isstill no conclusion on the regulation of the acceptable lead exposure limit. The value of the acceptable bloodlead level has progressively decreased in recent years. Therefore, the borderline between acceptable environmental and occupational exposure limit is becoming difficult to identify. Since the adverse neurological and reproductive effects on the children with a very low blood lead level has raised great attention over the years, it is necessary to re-evalute the possibility of lead mobilization for the bone and soft tissues, and to emphasize the risk of pregnancy and lactation when a mother has had occupational lead exposure before or during pregnancy. Therefore, from the public health and occupational health perspectives, there is an urgent need to discuss the issue of decreasing the acceptable exposure limit for lead.