New Maine Lead Law Fuels 10-Fold Jump In Children Tested

Maine's new lead exposure standards have led to a 10-fold jump in children identified as having been poisoned by lead.
 
The Portland Press Herald reports that a new law that changed standards for lead poisoning has identified 386 children as having been poisoned by lead. The law has been in effect for a year.
 
The law lowers the leading poisoning threshold to start intervention methods from 15 micrograms of lead per deciliter to 5 micrograms.
 
The standard is now aligned with U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendations. Once lead levels are discovered, the state takes remediation efforts to remove lead hazards, such as lead paint, from the home.
 
Republican Sen. Amy Volk said more has to be done to protect children and help families detect lead issues.