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Air Quality Designations for Lead

  • Lead

    Between 2010 and 2020, national 3-month average concentrations of lead improved 86 percent.

Title I of the Clean Air Act requires that after EPA sets a new National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQSStandards established by EPA for maximum allowable concentrations of six "criteria" pollutants in outdoor air. The six pollutants are carbon monoxide, lead, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. The standards are set at a level that protects public health with an adequate margin of safety.) or revises an existing standard, we must then designate areas in the United States as being in “attainment” or “nonattainment” with the standard. 

This website provides information on the process EPA follows to designate areas as being in attainment or nonattainment with the standards for leadA heavy metal that is hazardous to health if breathed or swallowed. Its use in gasoline, paints, and plumbing compounds has been sharply restricted or eliminated by federal laws and regulations. established in 2008.

Learn About Lead Designations

  • Lead designations process
  • Basis for air quality designations

Regulatory Actions and Guidance

  • Regulatory actions
  • Designations guidance

Where You Live

  • State designations
  • Tribal designations
  • Area designation maps

Related Information

  • Basic information on lead air pollution
  • Scientific and technical information on setting the 2008 lead standards
  • Table of historical lead NAAQS
  • Implementing lead standards
  • Other pollutant designations
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Last updated on May 2, 2025
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