Lead Contamination - What is It and Identifying it in Your Home
Imagine your child coming outside from playing soccer with friends and eagerly filling a glass of water from the sink to quench their thirst. What we can’t see in that glass of water, are tiny pieces of lead that make their way into your child’s system. Lead is a toxic metal, meaning that if it is ingested, it can cause serious damage to the body. While lead contamination used to be more severe in the United States, due to more building materials being made of lead, lead contamination of water is still very common in low and middle income countries, as well as big cities in the United States. Lead contamination used to be wThis lead contamination of water is because many of the pipes that carry water around cities are made of lead.
Studies have shown that in large cities in the US such as Chicago, only 0.007% of lead pipes have been replaced by the city government. This is a concerning number, because many people rely on water from city water lines to go about their daily activities. As many as 2 in 10 people in various parts of Chicago use tap water as their first choice in drinking water.
To measure how widespread lead pipes really are, researchers have measured the amount of lead that is in tap water. According to their measurements, researchers estimate that 1 in 3 houses yield a lead concentration of 5 ppb or higher, while as many as 7 in 10 houses yield a lead concentration of 1 ppb or higher. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that a safe concentration of lead in drinking water is 0 ppb. This means that water is only safe when there is no lead in it at all.
Studies have shown that in large cities in the US such as Chicago, only 0.007% of lead pipes have been replaced by the city government. This is a concerning number, because many people rely on water from city water lines to go about their daily activities. As many as 2 in 10 people in various parts of Chicago use tap water as their first choice in drinking water.
To measure how widespread lead pipes really are, researchers have measured the amount of lead that is in tap water. According to their measurements, researchers estimate that 1 in 3 houses yield a lead concentration of 5 ppb or higher, while as many as 7 in 10 houses yield a lead concentration of 1 ppb or higher. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that a safe concentration of lead in drinking water is 0 ppb. This means that water is only safe when there is no lead in it at all.
Corrosion of water pipes leads to lead coming into our water supply.
Image Source: Siddhartha Roy / FlintWaterStudy.org
It is important to know that lead contamination is dangerous to everybody who consumes it. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, lead can lead to slowed growth, hearing problems, and increased hyperactivity in young children. According to the UK Teratology Information Service, lead exposure in pregnant women can result in an early birth, miscarriage, or developmental disorders in the child. Finally, according to a publication by the New York Department of Health, lead exposure in adults can lead to hearing loss, high blood pressure, and seizures.
With this information, how can you know if there is lead in your water supply if we cannot see lead? Protect Your Tap is a guide (in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese) that explains how to identify lead pipes in your house with just a penny and magnet, and how to test your drinking water. To reduce lead in drinking water, you could install a filter certified to remove lead, and also using cold or bottled water for drinking, cooking, and baby formula. Boiling water does not remove lead from the water.
While efforts to remove lead pipes from buildings in the US continue, it's important to be safe because damage caused by lead poisoning can be irreversible, and being cautious with the water you use can lead to healthier versions of you and those around you.
With this information, how can you know if there is lead in your water supply if we cannot see lead? Protect Your Tap is a guide (in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese) that explains how to identify lead pipes in your house with just a penny and magnet, and how to test your drinking water. To reduce lead in drinking water, you could install a filter certified to remove lead, and also using cold or bottled water for drinking, cooking, and baby formula. Boiling water does not remove lead from the water.
While efforts to remove lead pipes from buildings in the US continue, it's important to be safe because damage caused by lead poisoning can be irreversible, and being cautious with the water you use can lead to healthier versions of you and those around you.
Featured Image Source: Steve Johnson
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