New EPA Online Guide – Heavy Metal Exposures in Children

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The US Environmental Protection Agency today released an online resource guide that links people to a variety  of federal, state, and local resources – in multiple languages – on preventing heavy metal exposures from so-called cultural products.* Children and pregnant people are especially vulnerable to the health risks posed by exposure to heavy metals in some products, which may lead to long-term health risks.

This is one of the promised goals outlined in the 2022 EPA Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in US Communities. It also advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s dedication to environmental justice and equity.

“One of EPA’s top priorities is protecting public health, especially the health of our children who are most vulnerable to health impacts from exposure to heavy metals such as lead,” said Clifford Villa, Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. 

“The first step in preventing these exposures is knowing about them. This new resource guide increases access to vital environmental health information that can help protect children from harmful exposures in so many communities across the country,” Villa said.

EPA does not regulate lead in cultural products.* However, exposure to lead in such products may contribute to overall high blood lead levels. EPA works with federal partners through the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children on topics of interest to children’s health, including lead exposures.

*Cultural products  in EPA speak are cosmetics, religious powders, spices, traditional medicine, and cookware, which can contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. Exposure to contaminants such as lead can cause health impacts, including reduced IQ, learning difficulties, and behavior issues like hyperactivity and inability to pay attention. These effects may not be visible because they manifest later in life.