EPA Region 10

LEAD


	Region 10: The Pacific Northwest

Serving the people of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and 270 Native Tribes

First Time Visitors
Index A - Z

Air Quality
Superfund
Waste and Chemicals
Water Quality

Innovative Solutions
Business & Industry
Concerned Citizens

LEAD

What's New in Lead?	Health Effects of Lead
Regulations, Rules, Policies and Guidances	Lead Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions	Publications and Resources
	State and Tribal Lead Programs
Schools and Lead	Enforcement
Training and Certification

Childhood lead poisoning is a serious, yet preventable environmental illness. Experts believe that blood lead levels as low as 10 micrograms per deciliter are associated with children’s learning and behavioral problems. High blood lead levels cause devastating health effects, such as seizures, coma, and death. Over the past 30 years, the U.S. has made great progress in combating this disease by addressing a wide range of sources of lead exposures. The Federal government has phased out lead in gasoline, reduced lead in drinking water, and banned or limited lead use in consumer products, including toys, food cans, and residential paint. States and municipalities have initiated programs to identify and treat lead poisoned children and to rehabilitate deteriorated housing. Parents, too, greatly contributed to reducing their children’s exposure to lead.

The U.S. children’s blood lead levels significantly decreased during the 1970's and 1980's. However, almost one million children under six still have blood lead levels above 10 micrograms per deciliter, with a disproportionate number of them living in inner cities; thus, lead poisoning is a major concern associated with environmental justice issues. There are also significant numbers of children living in suburban and rural areas that suffer from lead poisoning.

EPA’s current lead program focuses on the primary source (lead based paint) of lead-poisoning in children in the U.S. today. A 1991 report issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) showed that lead-based paint was used in millions of older homes and housing units in the United States. Studies showed that lead-based paint has a tendency to become incorporated in household dust as it cracks and weathers, lead paint also may chip or release particles into the air as a result of routine friction on impact surfaces (such as windows, window sills, doors). Young children may ingest the lead-contaminated dust during typical childhood behavior such as crawling on floors and then putting their fingers in their mouth or mouthing toys or other objects that are covered with contaminated dust. Some children exhibiting pica behavior (a chronic tendency of mouthing or eating non-food objects) could also swallow paint chips and be lead poisoned.

For more information on lead, its health effects, and EPA's lead program, please explore this website.

Go to top of page

Documents on this page were created by the U.S. EPA Region 10 Office of Waste and Chemicals Management Lead Program to assist the public and regulated communities. Due to the nature of some of these documents, several have been created in the Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format and require you to have either the full copy of the Adobe Acrobat software or the free version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please read our Disclaimer about EPA providing the link to the Adobe Acrobat software site now. If you don't have the full copy of Adobe Acrobat software or the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can go here

.
What's New In Lead?

EDOCKET - Access to EPA Docket system - The EPA Dockets (EDOCKET) is an electronic public docket and on-line comment system designed to expand access to documents in EPA’s major dockets. Dockets contain Federal Register notices, support documents, and public comments for regulations the Agency publishes and various non-regulatory activities. EDOCKET allows you to search, download and print the documents in a docket, as well as submit comments online.

10/23/01 - Proposed Rule: Landfill Disposal of Residential Lead-Based Paint Waste

7/17/01 - Schools and Lead-Based Paint Activities Fact Sheet

5/1/01 - What's New In Lead Nationwide

1/5/01 - New Standards Set For Lead In Paint, Dust and Soil

2000 - Tribal Relational Environmental Numeric Health Database System (TRENHDs)

. - built by tribes for tribes to help access specific needs of the tribal population to allow each user tribe to track the overall health and well being of their population and to identify areas of concern related to environmental pollutants. Chemical residues affect subsistence foods, medicinal herbs, homes and unborn children.

Regulations, Rules, Policies and Guidances
10/23/01 - Proposed Rule: Landfill Disposal of Residential Lead-Based Paint Waste

5/1/01 - Summary of Lead Regulations

1/5/01 - New Standards Set For Lead In Paint, Dust and Soil

8/16/00 - New Policy on Management of Lead-Based Paint Debris

8/16/00 - New Federal Lead Regulation Affects Contractors, Property Managers and Maintenance Personnel

7/25/00 - Lead Pre-Renovation Education Rule

6/9/99 - Federal Register Notice - Fees for Accreditiation of Training Programs & Certification of
Lead-based Paint Activities Contractors; Final Rule

7/9/98 - Lead Disclosure Rule

Health Effects of Lead

1/26/01 - Region 10's Health Effects of Lead

Schools and Lead

7/17/01 - Schools and Lead-Based Paint Activities Fact Sheet

Unit: Solid Waste & Toxics Unit
Barbara Ross, Regional Lead Coordinator
E-Mail: ross.barbara@epa.gov
(206) 553-1985
Phone Number: (206) 553-1985
Last Updated (mm/dd/yy): 08/06/2004

Lead
http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/OWCM.NSF/lead/lead1pg