Lead Contamination of Cinnamon—Estimating the Potential for Dietary Exposure and Impact on Blood Lead Levels of Young Children Under a Daily Intake Scenario

There is limited understanding of how lead (Pb) in spices affects blood lead levels (BLLs) in children. To address this gap, we employed complementary approaches. First, we purchased 20 ground cinnamon products and tested them for Pb using the Z-max excitation Monochromatic X-ray Fluorescence (M-XRF) analyzer. Second, we estimated BLLs for children aged 3–5 years using the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) based on daily intake of cinnamon (ranging 0.24–3.8 g), Pb concentration (ranging 0.04–3.52 μg/g), and 30–50% absorption. These combinations represented lower-to-worse daily exposure continuum. Finally, we estimated the number of child-size servings of sweet and savory recipes with cinnamon that would exceed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s interim reference level (2.2 μg/day) for children’s dietary Pb intake. Of the 20 products tested, 19 contained Pb at or above the method limit of detection, 0.04 μg/g; one product had Pb > 1 μg/g and two had Pb > 0.6 μg/g. In IEUBK modeling, greater daily cinnamon consumption, higher Pb concentration, and higher proportional absorption contributed to higher estimated BLLs. At higher Pb concentrations, fewer servings were estimated to exceed FDA’s interim reference level. In both analyses, presence of Pb from other sources yielded less favorable estimates (higher BLLs, fewer servings to exceed FDA’s interim reference level). While purchasing cinnamon from variety of stores, families with daily cinnamon use can protect children by selecting recipes with lower cinnamon amounts and being aware of other sources of Pb in children’s environments. Limit setting for Pb in spices should consider children’s multi-source exposures.