How much is too much?

Currently, the CDC lists a Blood Lead level of 10 µg/dL as "safe". This is down from 60 µg/dL considered safe in the 1960's. However, there is mounting evidence that not even this much lower recommendation is safe. Adverse health effects exist at much lower blood levels. Many groups have attempted to persuade the CDC to change their recommendation. There are several places on the CDC website and in their literature where they admit that there is evidence that lead causes negative impacts at levels well below 10 µg/dL. The CDC actually has a page dedicated to addressing those that want them to change the recommendations:
This quote is directly from that page:
"However, at this time the reasons not to lower the level of concern are as follows:

• No effective clinical interventions are known to lower the blood lead levels for children with levels less than 10 µg/dL or to reduce the risk for adverse developmental effects.
• Children cannot be accurately classified as having blood lead levels above or below a value less than 10 µg/dL because of the inaccuracy inherent in laboratory testing.
• Finally, there is no evidence of a threshold below which adverse effects are not experienced. Thus, any decision to establish a new level of concern would be arbitrary and provide uncertain benefits."

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/policy/changeBLL.htm#


That last point is the one that makes me the angriest. To me, they are saying, there is no safe level lead, so why change our level of concern? That is beyond reprehensible. They could use their resources to come out and directly say how dangerous lead is and lead a campaign to get lead out of our homes, toys, and cookware. They could use their influence to directly help millions of kids, but instead they bury this information on their website and make no effort to really confront the issue.


So, why is this important? Most doctors, other health officials, and local authorities use the CDC's level of concern as a "safe" lead level and do not realize that kids are getting sick and suffering permanent cognitive impairments every day at levels well below that seemingly magic number of 10 µg/dL. I think this is a terrible disservice to parents and kids everywhere. Study after study has shown that there is no safe level of lead especially where children are concerned. Children absorb a higher proportion of lead than adults and there is some evidence that autistic children may absorb lead even more easily than their peers.