How to Test for Lead in Water Chemistry

Lead can leach into your water through your pipes, fixtures, faucets and fittings and can be incredibly dangerous. It's been shown to cause severe damage to the kidneys, blood and the brain. This includes but isn't limited to headaches, muscle pain, decreased sperm count, high blood pressure and even depression. Lead can be especially dangerous for children and pregnant women.

Unfortunately, lead doesn't always have an identifiable taste, smell or look. The only way to know for sure is to test.

Testing Options

Testing for lead at your facility is a fairly straightforward endeavor. You can have it done professionally, you can send it off to a lab, or you can use a kit and test yourself.

There are a few types of tests on the market:

• Watersafe Test Kits are easy to use and typically give you results in 10 minutes. They also test for a wide range of contaminants.
• Lead Soil Tests are used to test your soil for lead. They typically offer a simple testing process and accuracies of up to 100 parts per million.
• Photometers are a costlier option, but they are usually more accurate, easier to use and come with bells and whistles like Bluetooth^® and connected apps.

If you decide to go for a watersafe testing kit, make sure you find one that's both laboratory certified and uses an EPA-based method for testing. Most tests will include a dropper, a vial and test strips. You'll take water from a source within your facility, pull out a specified amount with the dropper, add a solution and/or dip the test strips into the vial. Wait around 10 minutes and then check your results.

You'll want to do two tests—one is a "first draw sample," which looks at the water that's been sitting in your system. The second is a "flushed sample," which will test the water you've drawn from outside your facility.

Reading the Results

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency say that no amount of lead is safe. That's because lead builds up in your bones and is released into your bloodstream, especially during times of stress. Over time, exposure to even trace amounts of lead can lead to problems.

That said, the EPA does not signal the alarm unless lead reaches 15 parts per billion or more—this equates to 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water.

If your water does test positive for lead, you may need to look into new plumbing. Barring that, there are a few things you can do to reduce exposure.

• Running the water for 30 seconds to two minutes can flush some of the contaminated water out of the system temporarily.
• Heated water typically contains more lead. Consider only using cold water for any water that's ingested.
• Get a water filter that specifically removes lead.

Identifying lead in your water is only the first step. If you're above the PPB standards set out by the EPA, the above actions may just be stopgap. The real solution may involve replacing parts of your plumbing or installing a completely new system.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/health/lead-testing-home-drinking-water/

http://www.water-research.net/index.php/lead

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/lead.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/03/16/what-lead-levels-in-water-mean/81534336/

The information contained in this article is intended for general information purposes only and is based on information available as of the initial date of publication. No representation is made that the information or references are complete or remain current. This article is not a substitute for review of current applicable government regulations, industry standards, or other standards specific to your business and/or activities and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion. Readers with specific questions should refer to the applicable standards or consult with an attorney.

How to Test for Lead in Water Chemistry

Source: https://www.grainger.com/know-how/business-operations/water-resource-management/kh-how-to-test-for-lead-in-water#:~:text=Most%20tests%20will%20include%20a,and%20then%20check%20your%20results.

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