In December 2020, EPA announced a new action to better protect American children from the dangers of lead. This final rule will lower the clearance levels for the amount of lead that can remain in dust on floors and window sills after lead removal activities. 

EPA’s new clearance levels are 10 micrograms (µg) of lead in dust per square foot (ft2) for floor dust and 100 µg/ft2 for window sill dust, significantly lower than the previous levels of 40 µg/ft2 for floor dust and 250 µg/ft2 for window sill dust.

• Read the final rule that strengthens the dust-lead clearance levels.

These new clearance levels will reduce lead dust-related risks to children in pre-1978 homes and childcare facilities where lead abatement activities take place. After actions are taken to remove lead from a building, those buildings must then be tested to make sure that the cleaning activities were successful. These “clearance levels” indicate that lead dust was effectively removed at the end of the abatement work. 

In June 2019, EPA announced new, tighter standards for lead in dust on floors and window sills to protect children from the harmful effects of lead exposure, known as lead hazard standarads. The standards were lowered from 40 µg of lead in dust per ft² on floors and 250 µg of lead in dust per ft² on interior window sills, to 10 µg/ft² to 100 µg/ft², respectively. The strengthened standards became effective on January 2, 2020, which was 180 days after publication in the Federal Register. The lead hazard standards help property owners, lead paint professionals, and government agencies identify lead hazards in residential paint, dust and soil. The DLCL are used to demonstrate that abatement activities effectively and permanently eliminate those hazards. They apply in most pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities.  

The hazard standards are incorporated into the Section 402/404 lead-based paint activity regulations. In addition, lead-based paint hazards trigger reporting obligations under the Section 1018 real estate disclosure regulations. Please refer to those regulations for information on compliance requirements regarding these hazard standards.

Additional Information

• To speak to a specialist about the lead hazard standards, call the National Lead Information Center at 1 (800) 424-LEAD [5323]
• 40 CFR Part 745, Review of Dust-Lead Post-Abatement Clearance Levels; Final Rule – 12/18/2020
• 40 CFR Part 745, Review of the Dust-Lead Clearance Levels; Proposed Rule – 6/17/2020
• 40 CFR Part 745, Review of the Dust-Lead Hazard Standards and the Definition of Lead-Based Paint; Final Rule – 6/21/2019
• 40 CFR Part 745, Review of the Dust-Lead Hazard Standards and the Definition of Lead-Based Paint; Proposed Rule – 7/2/2018
• 40 CFR Part 745, Lead; Identification of Dangerous Levels of Lead; Final Rule – 1/5/2001 
• 40 CFR Part 745, Lead; Identification of Dangerous Levels of Lead; Proposed Rule – 6/3/1998
• Economic Analysis of Toxic Substances Control Act Section 403: Hazard Standards (PDF)
• Risk Analysis to Support Standards for Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil, June 1998 (EPA 747-R-97-006)
• Risk Analysis to Support Standards for Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil: Supplemental Report, December 2000 (EPA 747-R-00-004)
• Response to Comments Final Rule, December 2000 (PDF)

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