EPA Moves to Limit Lead Fuel in Aviation

Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has found that lead from airplane fuel is a danger to public health, opening the doors for the agency to limit lead fuel in aviation.

According to the Washington Post, “More than 170,000 smaller planes, known as piston-engine aircraft, still use leaded gasoline, according to the EPA, and there is an ongoing dispute about how quickly this form of fuel can be phased out at thousands of airports nationwide.”

Now, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can move forward in determining new rules “aimed at controlling or eliminating” aviation lead emissions from our nation’s aircraft. However, this is happening at the same time Congress considers a reauthorization of the FAA, which includes a bipartisan proposal to require small airports to keep selling leaded fuel.

“The science is clear: exposure to lead can cause irreversible and lifelong health effects in children,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “Aircraft that use leaded fuel are the dominant source of lead emissions in our air.”

Note that commercial jets do not use leaded fuel and these rules would mostly apply to planes carrying 10 or fewer passengers. Per the Post, “On average these aircraft are nearly 50 years old and were originally designed to run on leaded fuel as a way to prevent engine trouble in flight.”

The FAA is encouraging those in the industry to continue early adoption of unleaded fuel, and encouraging pilots to perform warm-ups and maneuvers away from populated areas.

Experts say the emissions from planes using leaded fuel can pose a risk to residents who live near the airports, which tend to be in poor or minority communities.

Why is leaded airplane fuel so dangerous?

A recent study in Oxford Academic analyzed blood samples of children who reside near Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in Santa Clara County, California. Researchers found that blood lead levels (BLLs) of these children increased with their proximity to RHV. They also note that BLLs are higher among children east and downwind of the airport, and their levels increase along with the volume of small aircraft traffic.

The CDC also recently changed its definition of lead poisoning in children:

The agency used to define lead poisoning in children as 5 micrograms per deciliter of a child’s blood. Now, it has lowered that number to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter.

The move is in response to recommendations by a committee of experts in child health, toxicology and related areas who are charged with advising the Health and Human Services Department on lead exposure and prevention.

The number of children who meet the criteria is expected to double with the new rule.

This comes on the heels of a JAMA study finding “more than a half-million children tested nationwide had detectable blood lead levels.” Many of these children are low-income or people of color, living in low-income housing built before lead paint laws were changed.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said, ““No level of lead is safe, and yet half of our nation’s children are at risk of lead exposure, often in their own home.”

What effects does lead have on children?

Lead exposure can seriously harm a child’s health. It can cause:

• Damage to the brain and nervous system
• Slowed growth and development
• Learning and behavior problems
• Hearing and speech problems

At high levels of exposure, lead can severely damage the brain and central nervous system, causing coma, convulsions,  or death.

Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children include:

• Developmental delay
• Learning difficulties
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Sluggishness and fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting

A child’s healthcare provider can test their blood levels for lead. The tests are inexpensive or, in some cases, free. Treatment can range from changes in diet to medicines or a hospital stay.

Lead can also be found in:

• Toy jewelry
• Old toys made in the United States and some imported toys
• Some vinyl and plastic toys
• Some imported ceramics and glazed dishes made in the U.S. prior to the 1990s

Is there treatment for lead poisoning?

Per the CDC, there is no antidote for lead. Treatment means removing the patient from the source of the exposure. They also note “Chelation therapy should be considered for treatment of severe symptoms or markedly elevated blood lead levels.”

Chelation therapy involves the administration of IV drugs called chelators that bind to the metal molecules in the bloodstream. These chelators then filter out through the kidneys and leave the body in the form of urine.

Adults with mildly high lead levels often recover without problems. However, even mild lead poisoning can have a permanent impact on attention and IQ in children. People with higher lead levels have a greater risk of long-lasting health problems.

The half-life of lead in adult human blood has been estimated as 28 days. The body accumulates lead over a lifetime and normally releases it very slowly.

In the meantime, the FAA “has been working with the general aviation community on ways to eliminate leaded aviation fuels used by piston-engine aircraft by the end of 2030. One key goal is to identify at least one unleaded fuel that can be used safely by general aviation aircraft.”

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