EPA Official Doubts New Lead Cleanup Limits Due To Background Levels

摘要

An EPA official says the agency is "struggling" with whether to set a more stringent action level for lead in soil in light of a stricter blood lead safety limit set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) because high background levels of the metal in urban areas from paint and other sources will offset any benefits from stricter cleanups. The CDC last year decided to strengthen its long-time reference level of 10 micrograms/deciliter (ug/dL) lead in blood to 5 ug/dL, in light of recommendations and findings from its advisory panel that found a variety of adverse health effects below 10 ug/dL in children. Currently, EPA has a cleanup action level - based on CDC's 10 ug/dL health goal - of 400 parts per million for lead in soil, and the agency has over the past several months been examining whether to change that action level due to the CDC's stricter safety level.