This action has nothing to do with improving public health.
WABC-TV (New York) reports,
A recommendation by a federal panel could mean hundreds of thousands of more children are diagnosed with lead poisoning.
Too much lead in children can cause brain damage, even death.
New research shows the old standards of acceptable lead levels in children is just too high.
New research persuaded the CDC panel that the current standard is just not good enough.
So for the first time in 20 years, they’re urging the government to lower the threshold for lead poisoning in children.
But even though we use more lead than ever:
- Blood lead levels are already plenty low;
- There is no evidence showing that current blood lead levels or ambient exposures are harming anyone; and
- The only children harmed by lead are those rare (and generally historic past) cases involving massive consumption of paint chips or the swallowing of lead trinkets.
The CDC panel’s goals are to keep itself and the lead scare industry in business and to condition the public that industrial activity is dangerous.
Please recycle all of your lead and other toxic wastes, China needs them!
Still lead water piping most of the town here since 1845 . No marked increase in retarded children. Weird. Maybe they are special? Or is the current advised lead level just to low? What would Reverend Occam make of that?
The primary mode of exposure to lead in children is through legacy paint. How can reduced compliance limits improve the situation at all? If they wished to do something, they could create a litmus test for lead paint and then give grants to repaint these buildings. That would have a decent impact.