The Biden administration's new lead regulations will keep thousands of children safe.
There are now stricter requirements for the presence of lead in homes and child care facilities. While previous regulations permitted a very small amount of lead to be present, new rules state that any detectable amount of lead is an unacceptable hazard and must be remedied.
Regular testing isn't required under the new bill, but "if a child showed symptoms of lead exposure, through a blood test or other measure, the rule would trigger state and local requirements for testing," according to The New York Times.
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The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 87% of homes built before 1940, 69% of homes built between 1940 and 1959, and 24% of homes built between 1960 and 1977 contain lead-based paint. In 1978, the "federal government banned consumer uses of lead-based paint," per the EPA.
Lead-based paint is the most common source of lead exposure, and the risk is higher when the paint is cracking or peeling. Fine particles can enter the air, creating lead dust.
Longtime exposure to lead can result in developmental delays, weight loss, seizures, headaches, high blood pressure, and other symptoms. Children are especially susceptible to lead poisoning, as they absorb more lead than adults, the World Health Organization says.
Lead pipes, another common source of lead exposure, were banned in the mid-1980s, but previously installed lead pipes were allowed to stay. The Biden administration recently issued a requirement that all lead pipes be replaced within 10 years, working toward safe and clean drinking water for Americans.
"The science is clear: There is no safe level of lead. Lead exposure can rob children of their futures, changing the course of a life full of promise into one of permanent challenges and diminished potential," Michal I. Freedhoff, the assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution, said, per the Times.
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