OBJECTIVE: To establish a rapid diagnostic method which is convenient, inexpensive and relevant to the national situation of China. METHODS: We adopted the filter paper method to detect the presence of blood lead from July, 1996 to December, 1996. S&S 903 filter paper was selected. The filter paper was first used to detect blank lead, followed by diffusion of blood samples on the paper, and the stability of the method and the recovery of lead from the filter paper samples were tested. RESULTS: ① Using aqueous lead standards, the blank of filter paper contained ( 5.2 ± 2.1 ) μg/L of lead; and ( 1.3 ± 0.4 ) μg/L after the correction using blood lead standards. ② The paper diffusion of blood and lead levels were stable if a drop of blood was between 30 to 50 μl in volume. A blood drop of less than 20 μl would give lower lead level readings. ③ The filter paper method showed a correlation of 0.9391 , 0.9708 , 0.9666 and 0.9553 , respectively (P< 0.01 ) if the tests were performed within 4 weeks. ④ Recovery of lead from the filter paper samples ranged from 95.5% to 123.7% . CONCLUSIONS: The filter paper method to detect lead in the blood is basically established.