The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced new, tighter standards for lead in dust on floors and window sills to protect children from potentially harmful effects of lead exposure. The announcement comes almost a year after the agency influentially recommended tighter dust-lead hazard standards.
The agency is lowering the dust-lead hazard standards to 10 micrograms of lead per square foot (µg/ft2) from 40 µg/ft2 for floors and to 100 µg/ft2 from 250 µg/ft2 for window sills. The more protective hazard standards will apply to inspections, risk assessments, and abatement activities in pre-1978 housing and certain schools, child care facilities, and hospitals, according to the EPA.
