How Heavy Metals Get in Your Water

Heavy metal contaminants can enter your drinking water from several sources.  Some leach into the water through older pipes and plumbing systems.  They can also enter water sources from industrial processes as they seep through the ground into aquifers.

As we continue to develop land and increase industrialization, the levels of heavy metals in our water are also increasing. Heavy metals are released into the environment from coal-burning plants, waste incinerators, household plumbing, paints, and other chemical substances. These toxic metals are then transported through industrial, municipal, and urban runoff until they ultimately reach our waterways.

Other heavy metals are released into the environment through naturally occurring processes.  For example, arsenic is found in certain geological formations.  Over time the arsenic can dissolve into the groundwater, reaching potentially unsafe levels.

Good Metals Versus Bad Metals

Not all of the elements that are classified as heavy metals are considered to be dangerous.  Only 17 have been identified as potential health threats.  How dangerous a metal is depends on the type, the amount, and how it affects the body.

There are some metals that the body needs for good health, such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe).  These metals and others are necessary for vital functions like circulation, reproduction, and respiration. Although there are metals that are essential nutrients for good health, even these metals, at certain amounts, can become toxic to the human body.

Heavy metal toxicity can cause a number of health problems and prolonged illnesses.  Reported effects include nervous system damage, stunted growth, slow development, organ damage, cancer, and in extreme cases, even death. For example, exposure to mercury and lead can cause autoimmune disorders, where the immune system begins to attack its own cells. Eventually, this can lead to rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, and circulatory and nervous system failure.

The heavy metals linked most often to human poisoning are lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. Other heavy metals, including copper, zinc, and chromium, are actually required by the body in small amounts, but can also be toxic in larger doses. The EPA has set limits on the amounts of heavy metals that are permissible in drinking water.

Who Is at Risk?

Young children are more prone to become ill from exposure to heavy metals.  This is because they consume more water for their body weight than adults, so toxicity can happen much quicker.  Babies and children are at risk because their developing organs and systems are more sensitive and can easily be damaged.  Exposure at a young age can cause learning disabilities, memory problems, behavioral problems, and hyperactivity. In extreme cases, heavy metals have been reported to cause irreversible brain damage.

Testing for Heavy Metals

Whether you have tap water or municipal water, it may contain trace amounts of heavy metals.  It is important to know if there are heavy metals in your water because these contaminants can pose a serious health threat.  It is recommended that you test your water for heavy metals frequently, especially if you have older metal pipes or live in an industrial area.

There are a number of tests available that will show you if your water contains these potentially dangerous contaminants.  Depending on your needs, you can choose from an at-home test kit or a mail-away laboratory test kit.

At-Home Testing

At-home test kits typically use test strips that are dipped into a water sample, allowing you to test your water at home, school, or the office.  The test strips use chemical reagents to show the presence of heavy metals. When free metal ions from heavy metals are present, they react with the reagent causing the strip to change color. The more metal ions that are present, the darker the color change on the strip.

Test strips are an easy, safe, and economical way to test for the presence of heavy metals in your water. Simply follow the instructions and then compare the developed test strip to the color-coded chart to determine the levels of heavy metal in your water.

Laboratory Testing

While at-home water test kits are a quick and affordable way to assess your water quality, you can get more precise results if you opt for a laboratory water test kit.  Typically, these kits include everything you need to gather water samples and send them to a certified lab for testing.  All you need to do is fill the supplied vials with your water samples according to the testing instructions and then mail the samples to the lab.  Once the lab receives your water samples, they will perform tests specifically engineered to identify the presence of heavy metals.

Know What Heavy Metals Are in Your Water

The presence of heavy metal contaminants in your water is hard to detect because they are colorless, odorless and tasteless.  The best way to know what is in your water is to test it.  Whether you decide to perform your water tests yourself or have your water analyzed by a certified lab, TestAssured can help you keep your family safe from heavy metals.  Our at-home test kit is an affordable option for quick results. While our lab test kits may take a little longer for your results, you’ll know exactly what is in your water with our certified lab’s analysis.  All of our test kits are neatly packaged with clear instructions and will provide you with important details about your water quality.

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Water Guidelines for Children

So just how much water does a child need? The amount of water a child needs varies depending on their age. As toddlers, the number of cups of water they need corresponds with their age in years. After the age of 4, this changes and boys and girls start to need varying amounts of water because of the differences in their average weights.

Why Does a Toddler Need Water?

Toddlers need water for the same reasons that adults need water. They may not be as active as adults, but their little bodies need water to function properly.  Their bodies need water to bring nutrients and oxygen to cells. Water also helps the body regulate its temperature.  Although there are other alternatives such as juice, electrolyte solutions, and soda, water is caffeine free, sugar free, and calorie free so it is a much healthier alternative to help children maintain proper weight.

How to Encourage Your Toddler to Drink More Water

With all of the marketing and advertising that goes into promoting sugary drinks, it may be hard to convince a toddler to drink more water. You can help encourage your toddler to drink water by making it fun. Try a cup with their favorite character printed on it.  Add ice cubes in fun shapes. Use a silly straw.  You can even make a game out of it.

Making Sure Your Water is Safe

With the abundance of bottled water and filter options that are available today, we sometimes take our water quality for granted.  However, knowing what is in your water is an important part of keeping your child healthy.  Whether your water comes from a private well or public source, all water is at risk for contaminants that can impact a toddler’s health.

Some of the contaminants that are frequently found in drinking water can cause damage to the small bodies of children while they are still developing. The reason that contaminated water poses more of a risk to children is that compared to adults, they weigh less so they absorb more water per pound of body weight. Because of their lower weight, the percentage of water pollutants ingested is greater which leads to higher risk. Common contaminants such as heavy metals and dangerous chemicals can build up to high levels in their bodies. Because their bodies are still growing, their organs and tissues are more susceptible to long-term damage and health issues.

Common Contaminants

Most contaminants are colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making them difficult to detect. Some of the contaminants that may be lurking in your water are:

• Lead: Water can absorb lead from older fixtures and plumbing. Lead levels that exceed 15ppb can pose a serious risk for toddlers.
• Pesticides: Pesticides applied to crop fields can be absorbed by the soil where they seep into water tables.  Many pesticides have been linked to increased cancer rates and other health issues.
• Bacteria: Bacteria in drinking water can cause vomiting, nausea, fever, and diarrhea.
• Iron: Iron in the soil can be absorbed by rainwater and aquifers.  It can affect the smell and taste of your water and may be dangerous to people who already have excessive amounts of iron in the body.
• Nitrates and Nitrites: Nitrates and nitrites are found in soil fertilizers and can contaminate drinking supplies. Nitrate levels should be under 10 parts per million and nitrite levels be under 1 part per million for safe drinking water.
• Chlorine: Chlorine is a safe disinfectant for water at certain levels.  Any more than 4 parts per million increases the chance for health concerns.
• Copper: Safe levels of copper are below 1,300 parts per billion. Increased copper can cause stomach problems and organ damage.

The Importance of Water Testing

No matter what your water source is, testing is the only way to know what is in your water to make sure its safe for your toddler.  There are professional testing companies that require you to mail samples and will return your results in days or weeks.  A simple and economical alternative is home testing.  TestAssured makes a complete testing kit that includes 10 water quality tests allowing you to quickly check your water with a complete analysis.  You’ll have results for most tests in a matter of minutes and you can be confident in the safety and quality of the water you are providing your toddler.

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What is Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning occurs when there is a continual source of lead being ingested.  Over time, the lead builds up in the body, causing serious health concerns. For people with developing and compromised immune systems, even small amounts of lead are cause for concern. Children under six years old are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning because their bodies are still developing. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal.

How Does Lead Get into Water?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work together to set and enforce allowable limits of lead in our water.  Because public water sources are regularly tested, you may think you don’t need to worry about lead poisoning.  Despite these measures, lead poisoning from water is still a risk.

Even if water tests free of lead at the source, it still must travel through an extensive system of pipes to get to your home.  Along the way, it can pick up lead from older pipes, plumbing systems, and water taps.  Lead can even be found in brass plumbing fixtures and copper pipes that have been soldered with lead.  As water travels and sits in these pipes, lead leaches from the pipes and into the water.

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning is very hard to detect, especially at low levels.  Lead is absorbed by the body and accumulates over time.  Symptoms of poisoning may not appear until dangerous levels of lead have built up in the blood and organs.  Sometimes even people with very high levels of lead in their blood may not show any signs of illness.

Children are very susceptible to lead poisoning because of their small size and developing bodies. Some of the symptoms you should be aware of include:

• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Sluggishness and fatigue
• Irritability
• Constipation
• Seizures
• Hearing loss
• Developmental delay
• Learning difficulties

Although children are at higher risk, adults are at risk as well.  Pregnant and nursing mothers should be especially cautious not to drink water contaminated with lead because some of the lead will be passed to the baby.  The elderly and people in poor health should also be concerned about their water quality due to compromised immunity.  Symptoms of lead poisoning in adults include:

• Joint and muscle pain
• High blood pressure
• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• Headaches
• Abdominal pain
• Mood disorders
• Reduced sperm count and abnormal sperm
• Miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth in pregnant women

Diagnosis

If you suspect that you or someone in your family is suffering from lead poisoning, you should seek medical attention.  If you live in an older home or are unsure what type of pipes were used in your home, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that your child be tested for lead during the first few years after birth.  Screening is also recommended for older children who have never been tested.

Lead poisoning can be diagnosed through a simple blood test.  Only a small sample of blood is needed, typically from a finger prick.  The levels of lead are then measured in micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL).  While there are no safe levels of lead, a measurement above 5 mcg/dL indicates a potentially unsafe level for both children and adults.

Treatment

If you do test positive for lead poisoning, the first step is to identify the source of lead so exposure can be eliminated.  If caught early enough, blood levels may return to normal without treatment.  For severe cases, treatment is chelation therapy. This involves taking a medication that binds with the lead so that it can be excreted in urine.

Prevention

There are some simple measures you can take to prevent the risk of lead poisoning from your drinking water.  If you have an older home, you should have a plumber examine your pipes to determine if they are made of lead or have lead fittings.  It may be necessary to consider replacing the plumbing if it contains lead. This can be costly, but you should check with your local health department to see if there is any funding available to help offset the cost.

Another simple tip is to avoid using hot tap water for drinking, cooking, or making infant formula. Hot water should not be used for consumption because lead dissolves more easily in hot water.  For drinking and cooking, be sure to run the cold water for at least a minute before using.

Test Your Water

If you want to know for sure if your water is contaminated with lead, the simplest thing to do is test it yourself.  TestAssured’s Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit allows you to test for lead in water from both municipal sources and wells.   The kit includes all the instructions and supplies you need to quickly test your drinking water for the presence of lead in only 10 minutes. If your tap water has lead levels exceeding 15ppb, you should take action immediately to minimize your exposure.

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The Flint water crisis led to widespread recognition of the risks involved in our drinking water, and cities and individuals began testing water quality on an unprecedented scale. Lead, the contaminant discovered in Flint’s water supply, is regarded as one of the most dangerous contaminants in water.

It’s highly poisonous and linked to a number of serious diseases, the worst of which include cancer and kidney failure. Because of these debilitating effects, there may be legal repercussions.

The Dangers of Lead in Drinking Water

Before we look at the legal issues with regard to lead in drinking water, we should examine how lead consumption can affect our health. Most notably, the adverse health effects of lead in drinking water are much more dire in children and pregnant women than for healthy adults.

Lead exposure in children or pregnant women has been linked to such serious conditions as:

• Behavioral and learning problems
• Anemia
• Slowed growth
• Hearing problems
• Lower IQ and hyperactivity
• Reduced growth of fetus
• Premature birth

According to the EPA, drinking water typically constitutes up 20 percent of a person’s total lead exposure and infants who drink primarily bottled formula can get as much as 60 percent of their lead intake from water.

This is one reason that Flint’s water crisis was such a shock. Children in schools were a primary victim of the contamination, and their exposure put them at a much higher risk for illness. Because of the high levels of lead found in the water at elementary schools, Michigan may have to require all infants, toddlers, and young children to be tested for lead poisoning to reduce their exposure to the toxin statewide.

Adults can also experience serious and adverse health effects. These will be worse for people who have been exposed for a long period of time, particularly if their exposure began in childhood. The potential consequences for adults include:

• Higher risk for cardiovascular disease
• Increased blood pressure and hypertension
• Decreased kidney function and even kidney failure
• Reproductive problems for both men and women
• Death after heavy or prolonged exposure

The dangers of lead poisoning in our drinking water are many. Levels must be carefully monitored to protect ourselves and our children from the effects.

According to the EPA’s regulations, the goal of most treatment centers is to keep lead levels at zero. However, the agency allows for a margin of error that’s anything less than 5 micrograms per deciliter in standard drinking water. Anything more than that, however, requires a swift response.

The City’s Treatment Centers Are Responsible for Keeping Your Water Safe

One of the most discussed aspects of the Flint crisis was the many lawsuits that emerged from it. Children and other citizens had been put at very high risk for lead poisoning due to the city’s inability to monitor its water purification systems properly.

Dozens of lawsuits, including several class-action suits, were filed in county, state and federal courts in Michigan. Though individuals are held responsible for their own actions, a strong argument can be made that it is a government duty to monitor drinking water with enough care to ensure no lead contaminants slip through.

Americans are guaranteed certain inalienable rights under the constitution, and clean drinking water could be regarded as one of them. In most cases, city monitoring systems do a fine job of testing the contaminants of your drinking water to make sure it’s always safe for consumption.

However, the frequency of testing isn’t necessarily ideal. Some cities don’t test their water nearly as often as they should, which puts their residents at a higher risk for lead exposure.

Construction that Increases Lead Exposure Leads to Lawsuits

Another concern is the pipes and service lines that collect and transport our water. Some pipes date back as far as the 1800s, and some are made of lead, which can enter the water through corrosion.

There’s been a major push to improve this infrastructure, but the effort could have the unintended consequence of increasing the lead content of drinking water. “Water experts say replacing mains and service lines, some dating to the 1800s, is necessary,” according to an article from the Dayton Daily News.

“But the replacements can increase the amount of lead in water — indefinitely, some claim — because of corrosion that gets disturbed in the lead pipes that run into a homeowner’s property.” The total infrastructure may not be able to handle this kind of maintenance, and that should be a cause for concern among the customers.

Several lawsuits have been filed in response to construction and pipe improvements. In June, residents of Philadelphia filed a class-action lawsuit against the city because of a repair project they claimed had significantly increased the risk of lead exposure in tap water.

Not only did the city’s actions allegedly increase the risk, but the suit charges it also failed to notify residents of the risks from the construction project.

“Studies have shown that the kind of construction the city is carrying out creates the perfect storm for lead pipe corrosion, and yet the city has decided to conceal this growing health hazard from its own citizens,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman, the law firm that filed the suit. “To add insult to injury, the city of Philadelphia has actively concealed this issue by rigging its lead testing procedures.”

This lawsuit, like others, is primarily based on the notion that the city should have warned residents about the dangers of lead exposure that could result from the project, but the city reportedly failed to give adequate warning.

This was just one of many suits that appeared in the wake of Flint’s water crisis.

The Necessity of Testing Your Water Regularly for Lead

Citizens across the country are seeking redress for what they believe was unlawful contamination of their drinking water. It is surely a vital exercise for them to seek justice through the legal system, but it’s easier and safer to avoid water contamination problems altogether.

Testing your drinking water at home is a wise step in prevention. The dangers of lead are many and varied, which underscores the wisdom of testing your drinking water on your own.

You can’t see lead in your water the way you can perceive dirt. Also, you usually can’t taste it like zinc or copper. The only way to make sure the water you’re drinking is completely lead-free is to do home tests.

At Test Assured, we offer a variety of home water-testing kits that will accurately show the levels of lead and other contaminants. One thing that should be evident from the many water crises in recent years is that you can’t always trust water-treatment facilities to make sure your water is clean before it reaches your tap.

Contaminants can enter your drinking water through the pipes as it travels to your faucet on this side of the treatment facility. For that reason, you should be using our lead-testing kits to ensure you have clean and safe drinking water at all times.

Our kits are easy to use, and the majority will give you results in less than 10 minutes. For more information about how to use our kits and the benefits they offer, contact us today!

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How Lead Enters a Home’s Water Supply

How does lead enter your home’s water supply? The most common culprits are lead plumbing materials, which include things like pipes, faucets fittings, and even the solder that holds these elements together.

In areas where water has low mineral or high acid content, water sitting in pipes can lead to corrosion. This corrosion releases trace amounts of lead into the water that then feeds drinking faucets and showers.

“While homes built before 1986 are the most likely to have lead plumbing, it can be found in newer homes as well. Until two years ago, the legal limit for ‘lead-free’ pipes was up to 8% lead,” CNN’s Sandee LaMotte reports. “As of January 1, 2014, all newly installed water faucets, fixtures, pipes and fittings must meet new lead-free requirements, which reduces the amount of lead allowed to 0.25%. But that doesn’t apply to existing fixtures, such as what is found in many older homes and public water suppliers.”

The Risks of Lead in Drinking Water

What’s so dangerous about having a little bit of lead in your drinking water, anyway? Well, the risk lies in the fact that the “amount” has little effect. Lead is a very toxic metal that’s harmful to human health, regardless of the amount. There’s no such thing as a safe level of exposure.

“The degree of exposure depends on the concentration of lead, route of exposure  (air, water, food), current medical condition, and age,” says Brian Oram of Water Research Center. “It has been estimated that up to 20 % of the total lead exposure in children can be attributed to a waterborne route, i.e., consuming contaminated water.”

Some of the dangerous side effects related to lead contamination include hearing loss, cramps, irritability, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, trouble sleeping, convulsions, neurological damage, coma, organ failure, and more.

The good news – if there’s such a thing in a situation like this – is that there’s a chance to reverse the course. “Drinking water is only one of the possible routes of exposure to lead contamination, but it is one of the easiest routes of contamination to reduce,” Oram assures families. “The primary route for lead poisoning in drinking water is not old contamination of the water by leaded fuels, old batteries or some hazardous waste site, the primary route is the distribution system used to carry water to your home and more importantly the plumbing within your home.”

Hot to Tell if You’re at Risk

The scary part about lead in drinking water is that you may not immediately know that your water is contaminated. This means you could be unknowingly drinking toxic water and putting your family at risk. So, how do you find out if you’re at risk?

The first step is to contact your local municipal water supplier. They should be able to give you documentation that shows the levels of contaminates they last found during mandatory testing. LaMotte says the EPA wants action level of 15 parts per billion or less.

While your local municipal water supplier can give you a read on whether or not the county’s water supply is contaminated prior to entering your home, you also need to figure out if lead is seeping into your water after entering your own plumbing system.

Thankfully, it’s possible for you to test your own water quality very easily. You can order your very own water testing kit and quickly determine your own readings. If you’d rather someone else review your numbers, you can take some water samples and then send them off to a laboratory for analysis. (Though we should note that it’s actually very easy to test water quality on your own with our accurate test kits.)

What to Do if Your Water Contains Lead

What should you do if you find unhealthy amounts of lead in your water supply? Well, the first step is to remain calm. You should be thankful that you caught the problem now, rather than a few years down the road. After quelling your fears, here are some tangible and practical steps to take:

1. Run Your Taps

Contrary to popular belief, boiling your water will not remove lead. Actually, because some water evaporates during boiling, lead concentration can actually increase slightly after boiling. One thing you can do is run cold water through faucets for three to five minutes before using water to drink or cook. This ensures you aren’t consuming water that was sitting in corroded pipes. (Note: Never run hot water through pipes.)

2. Drink Bottled and Filtered Water Only

Ideally, you should only drink bottled and filtered water. But do your research and make sure you’re choosing the right products. Many bottled waters are nothing more than tap water with labels. Furthermore, some filters don’t block out lead.

3. Contact Your Family Doctor

It’s a good idea to contact your family doctor and have every member of the household’s blood checked specifically for lead. This will let you know if you have any major health issues that need to be dealt with.

4. Contact a Certified Plumber

Finally, contact a licensed plumber to look at your pipes and let you know if they’re in need of replacing. In most cases, certain parts of the piping will need to be replaced with copper lines. In extreme cases, your entire system may have to be gutted.

Purchase a Home Water Testing Kit Today

At TestAssured, we believe that every family has a right to know what’s in their drinking water. That’s why we focus on providing high-quality water analysis test kits that are cost-effective and easy to use. For more information on how our tests work and which products you need, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

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