Lead is more toxic to children than previously believed and the federal government has once again lowered the blood level of concern threshold. The federal Center for Disease Control recently reduced the “action level” from 10 micrograms per deciliter to 5 micrograms per deciliter.
The agency stated that this new action level means that “children will be identified as having lead exposure earlier, and parents and doctors can take action earlier. The action came about because a national committee of experts recommended CDC change the blood level of concern. Their recommendation was based on reviewing a growing number of scientific studies that show that even low blood lead levels can cause lifelong health effects. For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead