The Biden administration introduced new requirements on Thursday to remove lead dust in childcare facilities and homes. The move could protect hundreds of thousands of children from toxic metals.
Under the new rules released through the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), buildings with any detectable level of lead dust will be labeled a "lead hazard" and require landlords or owners to pay for the cost of extensive cleanup. The area will be tested again to ensure the lead levels do not exceed a certain limit.
Specifically, the proposed rule would reduce the level of lead allowed when the abatement is finished. These would be 5 micrograms per square foot for lead dust on floors, 40 micrograms per square foot for dust on windowsills, and 100 micrograms per square foot for window troughs, the EPA noted.
Currently, a lead dust concentration of 10 micrograms per square foot on floors and 100 micrograms per square foot on windowsills is considered hazardous.
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How Does Lead Affect Children?
Children exposed to lead can suffer damage to the brain and nervous system. This is especially more hazardous to babies and younger children. Manufacturers previously put lead in paint to make sure it is more durable and resistant to moisture.
The US banned lead-based paint from use in residential buildings in 1978. However, it is estimated that at least 31 million houses in the country were built before the ban, with many found in communities of color or lower-income areas. The EPA also noted that about 3.8 million are home to at least one child aged five and below.
The revised limit will reduce lead exposure in up to 1.2 million people in the country every year. Of those, 326,000 are expected to be children under 6.
Biden Administration's Efforts To Remove Lead
The EPA's new revisions came after the Biden administration announced this month that water utilities would be required to replace any lead pipes within the next 10 years. It is estimated that nine million homes across the US still have lead pipes.
The pipe replacements will be done using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which allocated $2.6 billion for this initiative.
