Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants to lower limits on lead dust on floors and window sills, the agency announced June 25. The new limits apply to pre-1978 housing and any child-occupied facility, such as a daycare or school. The proposed hazard standard for floors would fall from 430 µg/m² to 108 µg/m², and the acceptable level for windows would fall from 2,700 µg/m2 to 1,100 µg/m2. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has said that lead exposure is a priority at the agency, though most of his public statements focus on lead in drinking water rather than childhood exposure though paint. “Lead-contaminated dust from chipped and peeling lead-based paint is one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children,” Pruitt said in a statement announcing the lower levels. “Strengthening the standards for lead in dust is an important component of EPA’s strategy to curtail childhood lead exposure.”
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