How does lead get into your water?
Many properties in the UK still use lead piping to deliver the mains water supply into and around the house. Lead can ‘leach’ into your tap water as these pipes corrode - the dissolving or wearing away of the metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and the plumbing.
The concentration of lead in your tap water can vary depending on the acidity of the water and the quality of pipework which is frequently buried in walls or under flooring making it difficult to inspect. Even homes with no lead piping can still experience small quantities of lead dissolved in the tap water from lead-based solder or brass fittings.
The Health Implications of Lead
Lead poisoning is one of the first known and most widely studied environmental hazards and has even been considered as a contributing factor to the decline of the Roman Empire. There are no known beneficial effects to having lead in the body, however, there are several harmful effects.
Lead binds to certain enzymes in the body by mimicking other metals that take part in biological processes. Due to its differing chemical composition, it interferes with the enzyme’s ability to catalyse its normal reaction. Out of all the human organs, the brain is most sensitive to lead poisoning with lead interfering with the normal development of children’s brains, putting them at the highest risk.
The lead levels at which symptoms appear can vary greatly depending on the characteristics of the individual. Symptoms often develop as lead levels build up in the body and can range from:
- depression;
- loss of appetite;
- abdominal pain;
- nausea;
- muscle pain;
- many more depending on the concentration
