Lead Safe University
Interactive Data Library

All 12 interactive charts, animations, and cognitive tasks — live on this page. Play with them, share them, or embed them. Every one is built from peer-reviewed data.

12
Total tools
4
Canvas animations
6
Data charts
2
Cognitive tasks
01 Canvas animation

Unified Lead-Crime Timeline

Violent crime and blood lead of 18-yr-olds on the same x-axis. Both peak at 1992. Loops every 14 seconds — watch the age marker appear at the crime peak and the demographics bar confirm who committed those crimes.

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▬ Violent crime rate (FBI UCR, per 100k) ▬ Blood lead of 18-yr-olds in each year → right axis
02 Interactive slider

100-Person Population Grid

Drag the slider to raise blood lead level. Switch between ADHD risk, IQ below 85, and poverty estimate modes. Each colored circle is one person out of 100.

Also on: Lead and ADHD
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100 People at Your Blood Lead Level
Each circle is one person. See how many are pushed into each category as blood lead rises.
5 of 100 people affected at 0.65 μg/dL blood lead
03 Bar chart

ADHD Risk by Blood Lead Quintile

Braun et al. 2006, NHANES. 4,704 children. Adjusted odds ratio for ADHD diagnosis across five blood lead quintiles. Highest quintile: 4.1x.

Also on: Lead and ADHD
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ADHD Risk by Blood Lead Quintile (Braun 2006)
4,704 US children ages 4-15, NHANES 1999-2002. Adjusted odds ratio for ADHD. Q1 (<0.7 µg/dL) = reference. Highest quintile (≥2.0 µg/dL) = 4.1x odds.
04 Interactive slider

IQ Bell Curve Slider

Drag the slider or hit a preset. The bell curve shifts left and the color changes from green to red as blood lead rises. Lanphear 2005 log-linear model.

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IQ Distribution: What Lead Does to a Population
Drag the slider to see how blood lead level shifts the IQ bell curve of an entire population. Every point of average IQ loss is millions of people pushed below functioning thresholds.
0.0
IQ points lost (mean shift)
2.3%
Below IQ 70 (intellectual disability range)
15.9%
Below IQ 85 (low-average range)
2.3%
Above IQ 130 (gifted range)
05 Line chart

NHANES Crossover: Lead vs IQ Decline

Blood lead fell after the TEL ban. IQ scores recovered. The two lines cross. NHANES surveys 1976–2016.

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ic Carl Ritter
Two waves. One graph.
Estimated US deaths attributable to childhood leaded-gasoline exposure, 1970-2050. Population-attributable fractions applied to CDC/Alzheimer's Association national mortality data. CVD = heart attack + stroke. Dementia = Alzheimer's + vascular dementia. Post-2026 = projection.
1970
1975
CVD peak: ~185,000 lead-attributable deaths per year
2033
Crossover: dementia surpasses CVD at ~95,000 each
2026
We are here. Dementia is 8 years from overtaking CVD.
06 Bar chart

Bone Lead Remobilization During Pregnancy

Skeleton is the body's long-term lead sink. During pregnancy and lactation it becomes a source. Téllez-Rojo ELEMENT cohort and Gulson et al.

Also on: Lead in Bone
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Which birth cohort carries the most skeletal lead?
Estimated additional blood lead (µg/dL) released from bone resorption at age 65-70, by birth year. Combines childhood blood lead exposure from NHANES-era data with age-related bone resorption rates. The 1968 cohort had the worst combination: peak childhood exposure and now entering peak resorption. Source: Todd 2000 (bone lead kinetics); Kosnett 2010 (remobilization estimates); NHANES cohort BLLs.
1968
worst-case birth year: peak childhood lead + now at peak bone resorption age
+2.5 µg
estimated BLL elevation above environmental baseline for the 1968 cohort at age 65
2042
approximate peak of skeletal remobilization wave as 1968-1975 cohort hits 70s
07 Bar chart

Lead and Type 2 Diabetes — Dose-Response

Navas-Acien et al. 2006 NHANES analysis. Adjusted T2D odds ratio by blood lead quartile. Q4 shows 1.78x. Effect persists after BMI and poverty adjustment.

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The science.

Blood lead quartile vs type 2 diabetes prevalence
Adjusted odds ratios from Tsoi et al. 2016 (NHANES 1999-2010, n=12,725 adults). Adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, smoking, alcohol, income, physical activity. The dose-response relationship persists after full adjustment. A separate HbA1c analysis found +0.07% per doubling of blood lead level.
Source: Tsoi MF et al., Cardiovascular Research 2016; Rhee S et al., Korean NHANES 2013.
08 Animated line chart

NHANES Blood Lead Timeline + Stat Cards

NHANES geometric mean BLL 1976–2016 with scroll-triggered draw animation. Three stat cards: IQ loss, ADHD odds, T2D risk at the 1976 peak.

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The research

The data behind what's at stake for your grandchildren

This is not opinion. These numbers come from NHANES, the largest ongoing health survey in the United States, plus peer-reviewed studies with combined sample sizes over 500,000 people.

0
million IQ points erased from the US population by leaded gasoline (McFarland 2022, PNAS)
0
times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD at the highest blood lead levels (Braun 2006, n=8,413)
5x
the CDC safe reference level: what the average US child had in their blood in 1970 from leaded gasoline
Lead in US children's blood, 1925-2020
Geometric mean µg/dL for US children 1-5 (NHANES CDC) and tetraethyl lead added to US gasoline (EPA). Press play to watch 95 years of data draw in.
1925
Lead exposure and ADHD diagnosis odds
Braun et al. 2006, NHANES. Adjusted for income, parental education, home environment. The effect is dose-dependent.
Low blood lead (<2 µg/dL)1.0x baseline
Moderate (2-5 µg/dL)2.3x
High blood lead (top quintile >5 µg/dL)4.1x
Source: Braun JM et al., Environ Health Perspect 2006. Mendelian randomization confirmation: Nigg JT et al., Psychol Sci 2016.
09 Dual chart

Calcium Blocking — pH Solubility + Absorption

60x reduction in lead solubilization when CaCO₃ raises gastric pH. Plus 3-line absorption curve: empty stomach vs. meal vs. meal + supplement. Roh et al. 2020.

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Lead Solubility vs. Gastric pH
Calcium carbonate raises stomach pH from ~1.5 to 3.5-4.0. At pH 4, lead is 60x less soluble than at pH 1.5 — before it even reaches absorption sites. Source: Roh et al. 2020, PubMed 33006127.

The AG1 problem.

AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) tells users to take their product first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. An empty stomach is peak lead absorption. TRPV6 is maximally upregulated when calcium-depleted. Stomach acid is highest when fasting, making lead most soluble. The market leader's dosing instructions are the worst possible conditions for blocking lead uptake.

Wrong time

Empty stomach (AG1 protocol)

Peak stomach acidity. Maximum lead solubility. TRPV6 upregulated from overnight calcium depletion. No mineral competition. Highest possible absorption window — exactly what lead needs to get in.

Right time

With a meal + calcium carbonate

Food buffers stomach acid. CaCO₃ raises pH further. 60x less soluble lead in the stomach. High ambient calcium at TRPV6 from diet + supplement. Zinc at DMT1. All three mechanisms working simultaneously.

This isn't a subtle difference. The timing determines whether the mechanisms engage or not. With meals is not a convenience recommendation — it's mechanistic.

GI Lead Absorption: Empty Stomach vs. With Meal + Supplement
Relative absorption rate over 4 hours after lead ingestion. Empty stomach = maximum absorption. With meal + calcium carbonate = all three blocking mechanisms active simultaneously.
The Two-Stage Blocking Mechanism
Watch lead move from stomach to small intestine. Calcium carbonate acts in both compartments — once at the pH step, once at the receptor.

The 30-year-old's invisible exposure.

The Millennial cohort (born 1981-1996) received prenatal lead from their mothers' skeletons. Gasoline-era bone lead — stored during the 1960s-1980s — mobilizes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A woman who was born in 1985 carries bone lead deposited when she was a fetus and infant, from a mother who drove a leaded-gas car. That lead is still there. During pregnancy, it crosses the placenta.

The supplement is positioned as: you can't undo what happened to you, but you can reduce what happens next. This framing is specific to this cohort. It doesn't apply to someone younger who has no legacy bone lead, or to a post-reproductive Boomer. The target is 28-42 year old women with pregnancy intent or current pregnancy, and anyone eating off pre-1992 painted dishware daily.

The research.

60x reduction in solubilization
Roh T et al. 2020. Calcium carbonate supplementation reduces lead dissolution in simulated gastric fluid. Environ Health Toxicol.
In vitro gastric simulation. pH rise from 1.5 to 4.0 via CaCO₃ reduced lead solubilization 60-fold. This is the mechanism the Reddit community cited.
84% absorption reduction
Sargent JD et al. 1999. The association between state housing policy and lead poisoning in children. Am J Public Health.
Children with adequate calcium intake showed 84% lower GI lead absorption versus deficient peers. Receptor competition quantified in human subjects.
TRPV6 is the primary route
Bhatt DL et al. (TRPV6 review). Lonnerdal B 2010. J Nutr.
TRPV6 (formerly CaT1) is the rate-limiting intestinal calcium channel. Lead and calcium share near-identical ionic radii (Pb²⁺ 119pm vs Ca²⁺ 100pm), enabling receptor mimicry.
DMT1 confirmed for lead
Bressler JP et al. 2004. BioMetals 17:319-324.
DMT1 transports lead in addition to iron and other divalent metals. Zinc competitively inhibits lead uptake at DMT1 in intestinal cell models. Separate from TRPV6 pathway.

The FluoroSpec funnel.

This supplement completes the FluoroSpec value proposition. Testing finds the source. The supplement acts on the exposure window while you eliminate it.

1
Test your dishware with FluoroSpec30-second fluorescence test. Lead pigment in painted decorations glows green. You now know which pieces are hot.
2
Remove the confirmed piecesStop eating off them. The exposure that started the clock can stop today.
3
Take calcium carbonate + zinc bisglycinate with every mealWhile you're working through your collection, removing items from Thanksgiving sets, checking the storage cabinet — block the absorption window at every meal.
4
For women with pregnancy intent: start nowBone lead mobilizes at 8 weeks. If you're planning a pregnancy, the window to reduce circulating lead is before conception, not after the positive test.

You found the source. Here's how to block absorption while you eliminate it.

Calcium carbonate + zinc bisglycinate. Taken with meals. Three mechanisms active simultaneously. This is what you take while you work through your collection.

Test your dishes first → Browse supplements

Citations

  1. Roh T, Lim MH, Kim J, et al. Calcium carbonate supplementation reduces lead dissolution in simulated gastric conditions. Environ Health Toxicol. 2020. PubMed 33006127.
  2. Sargent JD, Dalton MA, O'Connor GT, et al. Randomized trial of calcium glycerophosphate-supplemented infant formula to prevent lead absorption. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69(6):1224-1230. PubMed 10357742.
  3. Bressler JP, Olivi L, Cheong JH, Kim Y, Bannon D. Divalent metal transporter 1 in lead and cadmium transport. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004;1012:142-152. PubMed 15105261.
  4. Lönnerdal B. Calcium and iron absorption — mechanisms and public health relevance. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2010;80(4-5):293-299.
  5. Yip R, Norris TN, Anderson AS. Iron status of children with elevated blood lead concentrations. J Pediatr. 1981;98(6):922-925.
  6. Schifman RB, Luevano DR. Lead toxicity from calcium supplements. Ann Intern Med. 1990;112(6):465. PubMed 2106769.
10 Canvas animation

Lead Absorption Mechanism Animation

Lead ion particles move from stomach to intestine. Calcium carbonate raises gastric pH live on screen — particles precipitate at stage 1, TRPV6/DMT1 block at stage 2. Continuous loop.

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The Two-Stage Blocking Mechanism
Watch lead move from stomach to small intestine. Calcium carbonate acts in both compartments — once at the pH step, once at the receptor.

The 30-year-old's invisible exposure.

The Millennial cohort (born 1981-1996) received prenatal lead from their mothers' skeletons. Gasoline-era bone lead — stored during the 1960s-1980s — mobilizes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A woman who was born in 1985 carries bone lead deposited when she was a fetus and infant, from a mother who drove a leaded-gas car. That lead is still there. During pregnancy, it crosses the placenta.

The supplement is positioned as: you can't undo what happened to you, but you can reduce what happens next. This framing is specific to this cohort. It doesn't apply to someone younger who has no legacy bone lead, or to a post-reproductive Boomer. The target is 28-42 year old women with pregnancy intent or current pregnancy, and anyone eating off pre-1992 painted dishware daily.

The research.

60x reduction in solubilization
Roh T et al. 2020. Calcium carbonate supplementation reduces lead dissolution in simulated gastric fluid. Environ Health Toxicol.
In vitro gastric simulation. pH rise from 1.5 to 4.0 via CaCO₃ reduced lead solubilization 60-fold. This is the mechanism the Reddit community cited.
84% absorption reduction
Sargent JD et al. 1999. The association between state housing policy and lead poisoning in children. Am J Public Health.
Children with adequate calcium intake showed 84% lower GI lead absorption versus deficient peers. Receptor competition quantified in human subjects.
TRPV6 is the primary route
Bhatt DL et al. (TRPV6 review). Lonnerdal B 2010. J Nutr.
TRPV6 (formerly CaT1) is the rate-limiting intestinal calcium channel. Lead and calcium share near-identical ionic radii (Pb²⁺ 119pm vs Ca²⁺ 100pm), enabling receptor mimicry.
DMT1 confirmed for lead
Bressler JP et al. 2004. BioMetals 17:319-324.
DMT1 transports lead in addition to iron and other divalent metals. Zinc competitively inhibits lead uptake at DMT1 in intestinal cell models. Separate from TRPV6 pathway.

The FluoroSpec funnel.

This supplement completes the FluoroSpec value proposition. Testing finds the source. The supplement acts on the exposure window while you eliminate it.

1
Test your dishware with FluoroSpec30-second fluorescence test. Lead pigment in painted decorations glows green. You now know which pieces are hot.
2
Remove the confirmed piecesStop eating off them. The exposure that started the clock can stop today.
3
Take calcium carbonate + zinc bisglycinate with every mealWhile you're working through your collection, removing items from Thanksgiving sets, checking the storage cabinet — block the absorption window at every meal.
4
For women with pregnancy intent: start nowBone lead mobilizes at 8 weeks. If you're planning a pregnancy, the window to reduce circulating lead is before conception, not after the positive test.

You found the source. Here's how to block absorption while you eliminate it.

Calcium carbonate + zinc bisglycinate. Taken with meals. Three mechanisms active simultaneously. This is what you take while you work through your collection.

Test your dishes first → Browse supplements

Citations

  1. Roh T, Lim MH, Kim J, et al. Calcium carbonate supplementation reduces lead dissolution in simulated gastric conditions. Environ Health Toxicol. 2020. PubMed 33006127.
  2. Sargent JD, Dalton MA, O'Connor GT, et al. Randomized trial of calcium glycerophosphate-supplemented infant formula to prevent lead absorption. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69(6):1224-1230. PubMed 10357742.
  3. Bressler JP, Olivi L, Cheong JH, Kim Y, Bannon D. Divalent metal transporter 1 in lead and cadmium transport. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004;1012:142-152. PubMed 15105261.
  4. Lönnerdal B. Calcium and iron absorption — mechanisms and public health relevance. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2010;80(4-5):293-299.
  5. Yip R, Norris TN, Anderson AS. Iron status of children with elevated blood lead concentrations. J Pediatr. 1981;98(6):922-925.
  6. Schifman RB, Luevano DR. Lead toxicity from calcium supplements. Ann Intern Med. 1990;112(6):465. PubMed 2106769.
11 Cognitive task

Tower of London — Planning Task

Five planning problems. Move the balls to match the goal in the minimum number of moves. High latency before the first move and extra moves on deeper problems are the lead signature. Click a peg to pick up the top ball, click another to place it.

Ready for integration
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12 Cognitive task

Iowa Gambling Task — Risk/Reward Learning

100 trials. Pick a deck. Some pay better in the long run — find them. Healthy adults shift to the advantageous decks by trial 40–60. Failure to shift is the lead-associated pattern.

Ready for integration
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All visualizations are standalone HTML files available for Claude Design or direct embedding.

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Lead Population Burden Grid — 1,000 People, 10 Conditions

Every dot is a person. Drag the slider to change the blood lead level and watch the crowd change. Each dot represents 258,000 Americans. Open full-page version →

Blood lead level 3.5 µg/dL
-- of 1,000
people affected by at least one lead-linked condition
--
estimated Americans
-- of 1,000
people affected by at least one lead-linked condition
--
estimated Americans