What is Lead?
Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in the inner crust of the earth and is known to be harmful to the human body and the environment. You might be surprised to know that according to the WHO nearly half of the 2 million lives lost to known chemical exposure in 2019 were due to lead exposure. Lead exposure is estimated to account for 21.7 million years lost to disability and death worldwide due to its long-term effects on health.
Being one of the most harmful chemicals, including PFAs, MTBE, GenX, radon, radionuclides, and more, lead has become a major public health concern for workers, children, and pregnant women and requires strict actions to eliminate its consumption in any form. One of the top ways that lead can enter our body is by drinking lead-contaminated water. It is impossible to detect lead in drinking water by taste, color, or odor, and thus, it is challenging to identify how lead can contaminate your drinking water and cause harm to human health.
Lead As A Water Contaminant
There can be several reasons and causes for people being exposed to lead in their drinking water. Lead is usually found in the tap water of households, which can be a harmful contaminant if consumed for longer periods of time. In a recent survey by the Guardian, 118 out of 120 samples of water collected from all across the US had lead particles in them.
Lead consumption via drinking water can cause serious health issues related to kidneys, reproduction, heart health, and more. It is a naturally occurring metal found in both surface and groundwater, but it can be removed, preventing human consumption. Keep reading further to understand how it gets into the tap water.
How can lead get into tap water?
One of the primary means for lead intrusion into tap water can come from your home itself. Some older city infrastructure, and homes built before 1986, may have lead pipes or pipes soldered with lead. Older brass or chrome-plated brass faucets, not made to current standards, may contain lead. All of these can be affected by corrosion. Galvanized steel pipe, while not a direct source of lead itself, can corrode, and these corroded areas can collect insoluble lead particulates from a lead service line.
Lead can enter the water through corrosion (soluble) or physical abrasion (insoluble). Corrosion is a process wherein the metal is dissolved in a chemical reaction with any whetted plumbing material in the water system usually due to acidic water conditions. Physical abrasion is much less of a concern. It occurs where lead containing metallic components rub together and wear away traces of the metal and lead. If the water is alkaline, the insoluble particulates may collect in the system. Below are a few factors that impact the corrosion of lead:
- The pH of the water
- Chemistry of the water, the types and amounts of minerals in the water
- Quantity of lead present
- Number of instances and quantity of wear in the plumbing
- Contact time between standing water and the lead containing plumbing components
- The temperature of the water
- Presence of protective coating inside the plumbing materials
These are the primary reasons for lead to enter drinking water. To understand the side effects of drinking lead-contaminated water better, let’s first understand the lead levels in our water today.
Lead in Drinking Water Today
Ingesting soluble or insoluble lead in drinking water causes numerous health problems. Children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of lead exposure. While the impact of lead exposure is somewhat less in adults, the cumulative build-up over a long period can cause serious health problems related to kidney, reproduction, cardiovascular health, and possibly mental health too, as the link between lead exposure and criminality is the subject of numerous studies.
In addition, it is challenging to prevent lead from contaminating the drinking water as it occurs naturally by corrosion most of the time. Below are the “safe” levels of lead according to the respective agencies:
- The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has reduced the maximum allowable lead content to be a weighted average of 0.25% calculated across the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures and 0.2% for solder and flux.
- The Environmental Protection Act (EPA) states the acceptable amount of lead in drinking water can be 15 µg/L.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that public health actions can be initiated when the level of lead in a child’s blood is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or more.
However, lead consumption should be avoided completely. The presence of lead in water may not be detectable by sight, smell, or odor; hence, proper testing is needed at the individual residential level as well as at the municipal level. Here are some of the signs of lead piosoning::
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Hearing loss
- New violent feelings/impulses
Health Effects From Lead Consumption
Prolonged exposure to lead is detrimental to infants, children, pregnant women, and adults. High dosages and prolonged exposure or lead consumption can have severe repercussions on your body. Children, pregnant women, infants, and people with weaker immune systems are prone to lead poisoning and other health issues. Below are some of the impacts that lead consumption can have on all these categories:
Impact on Children & Infants
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "Children are exposed to lead via paint, dust, soil, air, and food, as well as drinking water." EPA estimates that "drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person’s total exposure to lead."Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 percent to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water."
The immune systems in children and infants are in the developing stage and their blood cells tend to absorb more lead considering its similarities with calcium. Calcium is responsible for brain development, bone health, and the cardiovascular system. As a result, when the absorbed lead goes into the blood, it causes issues related to kidney, bone, and teeth health, blood, liver, and brain leading to a disrupted normal biological functioning of the body, such as:
- Behavior and learning problems
- Lower IQ and hyperactivity
- Slowed growth
- Hearing problems
- Anemia
- Possible links to ADHD, impulsivity, criminality, and violence
Impact on adults
Although healthy adults don’t experience major impacts due to lead consumption, it is essential to note that lead can bioaccumulate in the body with prolonged consumption. This leads to irritability, weight loss, abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting, and seizures. Adults with lead poisoning can experience the following:
- High blood pressure
- Joint and muscle pain
- Difficulty with memory or concentration
- Incidence of hypertension
- Decreased kidney function
- Reproductive problems (in both men and women)
Impact on pregnant women
Bones release maternal calcium during pregnancy, which supports the sturdy bone health of the fetus. If a pregnant woman is not getting enough dietary calcium, lead becomes the substitute, hampering the placental barrier. Conversely, pregnant women can protect against lead toxicity by increasing dietary calcium intake. Lead toxicity affects the mother and the fetus in harmful ways, such as slow fetal growth and premature birth.
Removing Lead From Drinking Water
Removing lead from drinking water can save you from the above-discussed health issues. Below are some simple ways you can find out the lead percentage in your drinking water:
- Test your water for lead - purchase a home water test or request one from your county water dept. Municipaitiesl and community water departments are required by law to test the water supply regularly. You can typically view those results on their respective websites.
- Learn if you have a lead service line - If you do, find a replacement to avoid corrosion and lead exposure.
- Run your water - It is advisable to run water before you drink it, take a shower, do the laundry and dishes.
- Learn about the construction in your community. Wwas it built prior to 1986? Were lead pipes or lead solder used? Are your home’s faucets lead-free or low lead compliant? Lead based paint?
- Check if you have any maintenance or construction work going on in the periphery of your residence, as it may spike lead levels in the water.
- Use cold water for cooking and drinking. Please note: Boiling water before consumption may not remove lead.
- Clean your aerator or faucet screen regularly, as it may have sediment, debris, and insoluble lead particles
- Use a home water filter properly - Ensure it is designed for lead removal and follow the installation and maintenance instructions. Water filter cartridges do require periodic replacement to ensure efficient lead removal.
- Install a Home Master® HydroPerfection® and a whole house lead water filter HMF-CYO with the 1-micron lead and cyst carbon block filter.
Summary / Conclusion
Lead in drinking water has become one of the most commonly occurring problems in the United States and has created health issues like lead poisoning, but it can be ameliorated. To overcome this problem, we at Home Master® offer reliable and long-lasting water purification solutions.