Blood lead levels, the single most useful and authoritative index of lead toxicity, has heretofore been faulted for the following weaknesses: (1) it is too responsive to evanescent environmental changes, thereby putting its stability into question; (2) it does not provide sufficient insight into a total body burden; and (3) it may be normal at a time when toxicity is still occurring or has occurred recently. Each "weakness" is addressed herein, and hopefully, put into a useful perspective, i.e., at a clinical research and treatment level, none of the above is severe enough, if extant at all, to outweigh its manifold usefulness.