This　study　analyzed　the　environmental　impacts　due　to　lead　production　in　China,　which　is　the　largest　producer　and　consumer　of　lead　in　the　world,　by　the　method　of　life　cycle　assessment　(LCA).　Based　on　the　Chinese　refined　lead　smelting　process,　a　process-based　life　cycle　assessment　model　was　established　to　assess　the　environmental　load　of　lead　production　system　which　includes　the　processes　of　mining,　beneficiation,　smelting,　electrorefining　and　transportation.　The　result　shows　that　the　cumulative　consumption　of　electricity　and　the　cumulative　emission　of　greenhouse　gases　for　the　production　of　1t　of　refined　lead　are　1111.93kWh　and　2.06E+03kg　CO2　eq,　respectively.　Smelting　process　is　the　largest　contributor　to　the　environmental　impact　load,　accounting　for　51.16%　of　the　total　environmental　impact.　The　environmental　category　of　human　toxicity　potential(HTP),　accounting　for　35.26%　of　the　total　environmental　impact,　is　the　largest　contributor　between　different　environmental　categories　to　the　total　environmental　impact,　followed　by　metal　depletion　potential(MDP)　and　fossil　depletion　potential(FDP),　accounting　for　27.94%　and　11.80%　of　the　total　environmental　impact,　respectively.　Improving　the　resource　efficiencies　of　the　processes　of　smelting　and　beneficiation,　and　using　cleaner　energy　to　generate　electricity　are　the　key　approaches　to　reduce　the　overall　environmental　impact　of　lead　production　in　China.　©　2019　Trans　Tech　Publications,　Switzerland.