Federal Environmental Protection Agency sets tighter regulations aimed at mitigating the pervasive issue of lead paint dust in domestic residences and childcare settings.
Exposure to even minimal amounts of lead is known to pose significant risks. In young children, it can impede brain development and lead to long-term health issues. Despite being phased out of paint production in the U.S. for several decades, lead residue remains prevalent in numerous older structures. As per estimates, approximately 31 million houses built prior to 1978 are still in existence, with about 3.8 million of them housing at least one child under six years of age.
Little ones are particularly susceptible due to their habit of crawling on contaminated floor surfaces and touching contaminated windowsills, which can lead to ingestion through hand-to-mouth contact.
"This paint is over half a century old at this point," commented Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "In some instances, it's even older than that, and it feels to me like it's high time to eliminate the health hazard that lead paint has posed to our children."
Lead paint is often identified when high lead levels are detected in a child's blood sample. In such instances, the EPA compels the immediate cleanup of the hazard, followed by testing to ensure that the lead paint dust levels do not surpass specific thresholds.
"Today, the Biden-Harris administration is setting a virtually zero-tolerance standard for detecting lead in homes or childcare facilities," White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi stated. "Any trace of lead detected in a home will prompt immediate action, requiring the intervention of a certified lead abatement specialist. Their job will not be deemed complete until they have reached the lowest levels of lead detection our labs can reliably detect."
The updated standards strengthen the criteria for qualifying lead abatement as complete. The new limits are set at 5 micrograms per square foot for dust on floors, 40 micrograms per square foot for windowsills, and 100 micrograms per square foot for window troughs, as measured by an EPA-recognized lab.
These revised figures are more lenient than those initially proposed, reducing the cost of compliance, as per Freedhoff.
"We received substantial feedback emphasizing that there are only a limited number of labs equipped to measure to the lower levels we initially proposed," she said. "Absent adjusting the standard, there would have been a bottleneck at the smaller number of labs capable of performing the required work. This could have led to reduced lead paint abatement, potentially necessitating longer-term displacement of families and ultimately, increased risk for more children and households. By adopting the threshold New York City implemented in 2021, we can minimize risk in a more comprehensive manner."
"I believe it's erroneous to argue that children must opt between safe homes or no homes, and I don't think they should be faced with that decision under this rule," Freedhoff concluded.
The new regulation is projected to reduce lead exposure in an estimated 1.2 million individuals annually within the U.S. Zaidi noted that houses with lead paint are more prevalent in communities of color and lower-income regions.
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"It's crucial to recognize this as part of a broader strategy to ensure that regardless of where you live, your ZIP code, income level, or ethnicity does not predetermine your exposure to lead," Zaidi underscored.
The lead dust regulations are part of a broader strategy by the Biden administration focused on minimizing lead exposure across the nation, according to officials. This month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded more than $420 million to help eliminate lead hazards in homes and HUD-assisted properties, and the administration finalized a rule requiring drinking water systems to locate and replace lead pipes within a decade. Additionally, the EPA announced $2.6 billion in funding dedicated to improving the nation's drinking water infrastructure.
"The revision in lead dust regulations aims to reduce health risks, particularly for children under six who are often exposed through hand-to-mouth contact with contaminated surfaces."
"Given the prevalence of lead paint in older houses, particularly in communities of color and lower-income regions, these measures are essential to ensure equitable health protection for all individuals."
