Quantifying Lead‐Leaching Potential From Plumbing Exposed to Aggressive Waters

Abstract

Section 9 of NSF International/American National Standards Institute (NSF/ANSI) Standard 61 evaluates lead‐leaching potential from end‐point devices to protect consumer health. However, because the NSF/ANSI protocol stipulates a high pH and alkalinity characteristic of municipal waters, it is not likely generalizable to the aggressive water chemistries more consistent with water quality observed in private systems. To assess lead release from components installed in private systems, this study exposed brass and galvanized steel that meet lead‐free requirements to more aggressive waters. As expected, lead leaching from C36000 brass increased with decreasing pH and alkalinity, but post‐2014 lead‐free brass released nondetectable concentrations when exposed to aggressive conditions. However, post‐2014 lead‐free galvanized steel may still release significant lead in aggressive waters as a result of the sorption of lead to plumbing. Although new lead‐free brass products are more protective of communities dependent on private systems, elevated lead from both legacy materials and galvanized steel remains an issue for systems without corrosion control.

Children drinking private well water have higher blood lead than those with city water

“…However, it does not apply to plumbing components (such as pump components and drop pipes) used within private wells (42). In addition, it may still fail to entirely eliminate leaching of Pb from corrosion of brass and galvanized parts, because laboratory studies show that Pb can leach even from fixtures containing less than 0.25% Pb under corrosive water conditions (43). Because only 2% of the homes in our dataset were built after 2014 (when the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act took effect), and only a minority of these had private wells, the effects of the 2011 act could not be robustly evaluated in this study.…”

Assessing Strontium and Vulnerability to Strontium in Private Drinking Water Systems in Virginia

“…Thus, this study provides an initial characterization of the prevalence, concentration, spatial distribution, and physical and social vulnerabilities associated with strontium in PDW in Virginia in order to inform the public and address an understudied issue of public health concern. While studies on PDWs exist [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15], few examine strontium at a large scale and none examine strontium in Virginia [16][17][18]; further, 80% of the PDWs were either never tested or have been tested only once.…”

“…While studies on PDW quality exist [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15], few examine strontium at a large scale and none examine strontium in Virginia [16][17][18]. Data generated through the Virginia Cooperative Extension's Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP) at Virginia Tech provide a unique opportunity to characterize, analyze, and interpret the distribution of strontium concentrations in PDW in general, and particularly in Virginia.…”

Groundwater Quality Assessment of the Piney Point Aquifer in the Virginia Coastal Plain

“…Groundwater quality may also be affected by the well infrastructure that is responsible for its transportation to the surface (Pieper et al 2016). For the purpose of this study, I will focus solely on natural contamination of groundwater from sediments and will not be considering well infrastructure as a source of groundwater contamination.…”