The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its new standards for airborne lead particles. The change was recomanded by the federal science advisers especially because such a move hasn’t been done in over three decades.

The agency’s plans include the restoration of the country’s system of monitors designed to detect toxic contaminations. EPA’s spokeswoman, Cathy Milbourn, explained that at this point there are only 133 such monitors all across the nation and considering the fact that back in 1980 there were close to 800 functional monitors, the matter must be rapidly resolved.

The agency’s administrator, Stephen L. Johnson, said in a statement that this is a significant step taken by the authorities to ensure a safer environment for all Americans “With these stronger standards, a new generation of Americans are being protected from harmful lead emissions,” he stated.

The new standards placed the exposure limit at 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter of air, which is quite a change from the previous 1.5 micrograms limit.

The news was received with great enthusiasm but there are also some issues that might surface from this decision. Apparently, the new rules might cause some problems for the lead recycling industry, which will not be able to carry on with its activities at the same pace as before, slowing down production for all the companies involved in disassembling and recycling the millions of car batteries.

Lead’s toxicity has been identified for many years now and the metal is known to lead to the impairment of neural development in infants and young children, and also to cardiovascular disease and premature death in adults.