Lead exposure through Drinking Water: Lessons to be learned from recent U.S. experience

Abstract

Lead (Pb) particles that detach from the plumbing and contaminate drinking water can pose a
 significant health threat, which is often underestimated. Laboratory simulation of this problem
 revealed that standard quantification protocols in the US may miss 80% of the lead present in
 the water. At the same time, a significant fraction of this undetected particulate lead may be
 bioavailable when ingested. A critical review of the Washington DC lead-in-water crisis
 suggested that lead in water might constitute a greater public health risk than generally
 acknowledged, in at least some circumstances. It also revealed deficiencies in the public
 health response as well as in alerting the public to elevated levels of lead, and the subject
 continues to be mired in controversy. Our independent testing at six Washington DC public
 schools in 2008 showed that problems with elevated lead still persist at 2-41% of taps
 sampled at each school, even after remedial measures were implemented.