Six raw agricultural crops (lettuce, peanuts, potatoes, soybeans, sweet corn and wheat were collected from major U.S. growing areas uncontaminated by human activities other than normal agricultural practices and analyzed for Cd and Pb by using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. Handling, preparation, and analysis of the 1645 sample were performed under carefully controlled conditions. Mean concentrations of Pb and Cd (microgram/g wet weight) were for lettuce 0.013 and 0.026, for peanuts 0.10 and 0.078, for potatoes 0.009 and 0.031, for soybeans 0.042 and 0.059, for sweet corn 0.0033 and 0.0031, and for wheat 0.037 and 0.043 respectively. Most of these values, considered to be background, are much lower than those reported previously.