Last Friday the Commission unanimously reached an important, eminently practical, and pretty obvious decision: there are children’s products that have more than 100 parts per million (ppm) of lead that should be allowed to be sold. That’s because removing lead at that trace level is not really feasible and that trace amount of lead will not cause a safety risk to a child.
That’s a lot to say, but it says a lot.
Although last summer the agency said there was no technological reason not to impose a 100 ppm lead-content limit on children’s products, thanks to Public Law 112-28 (also known as H.R. 2715), we now have found a way to provide realistic exceptions to that rule. Why? Because in that law Congress emphasized that exposure to lead, not just the mere presence, is the key to determining the true risk of harm. If reducing lead content is not practicable or technologically feasible, if the product isn’t likely to be mouthed, and if using the product won’t measurably increase blood lead levels, then the product can be over 100 ppm—and be okay. There’s no health risk.
There are other components of children’s products, beyond those dealt with in the petition spurring this decision, which may similarly qualify. I hope the Commission continues to use this reasonable approach, albeit long overdue.
