California tightens rules on worker exposure to poisonous lead. 'The evidence is undeniable.'
California is tightening its rules on workplace exposure to lead for the first time in decades, making it a national leader in combatting lead poisoning.
The stricter regulations are based on evidence that workers can suffer health hazards from lead exposure below previous limits, and failing to act on this evidence has resulted in harm to workers.
The new standards aim to keep lead levels in the blood below 10 micrograms per deciliter and will go into effect in January. [ more ]
A new study says the global toll of lead exposure is even worse than we thought
A new study in the journal Lancet Planetary Health estimates that 5.455 million adults worldwide died in 2019 from cardiovascular disease (CVD) attributable to lead exposure.
The study also provides the first monetary estimates of the global cost of lead-attributable deaths, putting the combined toll of cognitive damage and CVD mortality at $6 trillion for 2019 alone.
Lead exposure is not only associated with gasoline and paint, but also with lesser-known sources like cookware, water supply lines, and electronic waste. [ more ]