Aim. To determine the level of lead contamination of life-sustaining environmental objects and the internal environment of the human body in the conditions of industrial regions.
Object and research methods. An analysis of the lead content in life-supporting environmental objects – atmospheric air, drinking water and food products of industrial cities of the Dnipropetrovsk region – Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Kamianske was carried out. A clinical and hygienic assessment of the metal content in biosubstrates of clinically healthy working-age population of both sexes of Dnipro was carried out for the period 2022-2024. The assessment of the obtained data was carried out in accordance with the requirements of current legislation, international recommendations and reference concentrations, and data from scientific literature.
Results. It has been established that lead concentrations in the atmospheric air and drinking water of the largest industrial cities of the Dnipropetrovsk region are within the regulatory level in terms of average annual concentrations. The lead content in different groups of food products in terms of average values varies within 0.057-0.471 mg/kg, which does not exceed hygienic standards, however, the maximum concentrations of the metal in individual groups of food products exceed the current regulations by 1.2-3.3 times. At the same time, our calculated level of total daily intake of lead is 0.24 mg according to average values, which is an order of magnitude higher compared to the maximum safe levels of exposure according to the recommendations of the FDA and EPA. Such a situation causes an increase in the xenobiotic content in the body, which is confirmed by the results of biomonitoring. Despite the relative sanitary and hygienic well-being of environmental objects, the concentration of lead in the biosubstrates of the working population exceeds the reference values and studies in the zone of ecological and geochemical optimum. The obtained data are consistent with the results of studies by other scientists on the increase in the content of toxic and potentially toxic metals in the biosubstrates of residents of industrially developed territories, our own data from the previous observation period, and indicate a constant level of internal pollution of the human body living in conditions of technogenic load.
Conclusions. The conducted studies allowed us to identify the specifics of lead contamination of life-supporting environmental objects in the conditions of the Dnipropetrovsk region, to establish the territorial-temporal features of lead contamination of atmospheric air, drinking water and food, as well as a fairly significant level of internal contamination of the human body, which poses a potential threat to human health at both the individual and population levels.
The obtained results are an important information base for improving monitoring of environmental objects and biomonitoring, timely forecasting of probable health deterioration due to the influence of small doses of lead, development of a set of preventive measures.

Lead, heavy metals, pollution, biomonitoring, risk, impact, environment.

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