Full Description

Utilization of inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS) for lead isotope analysis together with multielement analysis is effective in identifying sources of lead in tap water. Both methods complement each other. Lead isotope ratios from water samples from ten dwellings were compared with isotope ratios from the metal scrapings collected at the corresponding customers' homes. Matches were determined using an equation that was developed to consider all the potential sources of lead to drinking water in the household plumbing. Primary sources of lead in water samples varied with the homes sampled. Occasionally, lead solder was the primary source, while in others, lead service lines were found to be the primary source. An interesting result from the study was that copper pipes contributed lead to the 125-mL sequential drinking water sample in almost every case. This suggests that buildings having extensive copper plumbing may expect to see lead in drinking water because of leaching of the copper pipe.

Product Details

Published: 01/01/1994 ISBN(s): 0898677742 Number of Pages: 18File Size: 1 file , 640 KB