Lead. Friend or Foe? We share a lengthy history with lead. Referred to as “Plumbum” by the Romans, it played a crucial role in various products, with its primary significance in the plumbing of aqueducts and water pipes. Ever wondered why lead is labeled as Pb on the periodic table? “Plumbum,” or lead as we know it today, is relatively soft and malleable, making it easy to work with. It remains an integral part of our lives, found in old pipes or used as solder for copper piping, contributing to our infrastructure.
However, lead poses significant dangers, particularly to children, and there is no safe level of lead exposure. While your water supply may be lead-free when it leaves the treatment plant, many pipes transporting water to our homes contain lead. A slight change in acidity can cause lead to dissolve from the pipes into the water, making its way into your home. Flint, Michigan, is a well-known case, but sadly, it’s not the only one.
Since lead stays in your body, small amounts of lead can accumulate over time, leading to a wide variety of symptoms, including learning differences, developmental problems, a cranky disposition, weight loss, fatigue, stomach pain, vomiting, constipation, seizures, and hearing loss.
Video Credit to UNICEF (left) and CBS Evening News (Right)
Chart of Health Effects from Exposure to Lead
Drinking Water
| HIGH Chemical Danger | Lead does not belong in your body. There are no benefits to consuming lead and it can have devastating health effects |
| Minor Radiation Danger | The four most prevalent isotopes of lead which account for almost 100% of environmental lead are stable and pose no radiation danger. Six trace elements exist that do possess a radioactive risk but they are so rare that they can seldom be detected. |
| No Biological Danger | Lead is a chemical risk. Bioaccumulation is not a risk because there are no natural mechanisms to rid the body of lead. |
Contact Water (Sink, Bath, Shower)
| Slight Chemical Danger | Lead can be absorbed through the skin but the rate of absorption is slow. Bathing or showering in modestly contaminated lead water does not pose a significant risk to health. If your lead concentration is greater than 1000 PPB lead, you should consider a whole house solution. |
| Minor Radiation Danger | The four most prevalent isotopes of lead which account for almost 100% of environmental lead are stable and pose no radiation danger. Six trace elements exist that do possess a radioactive risk but they are so rare that they can seldom be detected. |
| No Biological Danger | Lead is a chemical risk. |
Solutions
Drinking Water – Point of Use or at the sink
| Reverse Osmosis | Reverse Osmosis filters, remove a broad range of organic, inorganic, and biological toxins by concentrating and flushing them to the drain, providing you with a full year of worry-free drinking water. Units are easy to install and service. |
| Ion Exchange Resin | Industries use ion removal resin to create ultra-pure water for precision manufacturing processes. They trap heavy metals in a disposable filter cartridge that is replaced every year. |
| Filter33 | This specialized Heavy Metal Adsorbent is provided by the water treatment experts at Clarus Water Solutions. This material is used by Municipalities and other industries to remove harmful heavy metals. This material is not yet packaged for residential use. |
Contact Water (Sink, Bath, Shower) – Point of Entry or Whole House
| Reverse Osmosis | Reverse Osmosis filters, remove a broad range of organic, inorganic, and biological toxins by concentrating and flushing them to the drain, providing you with a full year of worry-free drinking water. Units are easy to install and service. |
| Ion Exchange Resin | Industries use ion removal resin to create ultra-pure water for precision manufacturing processes. They trap heavy metals in a disposable filter cartridge that is replaced every year. |
| Filter33 | This specialized Heavy Metal Adsorbent is provided by the water treatment experts at Clarus Water Solutions. This material is used by Municipalities and other industries to remove harmful heavy metals. This material is not yet packaged for residential use. |
Detection Methods
Detecting Lead in water requires professional water analysis. If you are concerned about the possible concentrations of Lead in your water, please get in touch with WattsOregon for testing services. We will send sample bottles to your home and will provide prompt sample results.
Lead Isotopes – Unlocking the Environmental Code
There are 43 known isotopes of Lead, four of which are found in nature in detectable amounts. All four are radioactively stable and pose no risk. There are six radioactive Lead Isotopes but they are hard to find in nature. That leaves 33 additional isotopes that have been created or are thought to be possible.
This intricate interplay of isotopes underscores the complexity of Lead’s behavior in the environment, guiding our comprehension of its potential risks and aiding in the development of effective mitigation strategies.
| Isotope | Environmental Average | Protons | Neurons | Half-Life |
| Lead 208 | 52.4% | 82 | 126 | Stable – No Decay |
| Lead 206 | 24.1% | 82 | 124 | Stable – No Decay |
| Lead 207 | 22.1% | 82 | 125 | Stable- No Decay |
| Lead 204 | 1.40% | 82 | 122 | Stable – No Decay |
| Lead 205 | Trace | 82 | 123 | 17,300,000 Years |
| Lead 209 | Trace | 82 | 127 | 3.253 Hour |
| Lead 210 | Trace | 82 | 128 | 22.20 Years |
| Lead 211 | Trace | 82 | 129 | 36.1 Min |
| Lead 212 | Trace | 82 | 130 | 10.64 Hour |
| Lead 214 | Trace | 82 | 132 | 26.8 Min |
| Naturally Occurring Average | 82 | 125.241 | ||
| Lead 178-189 | Synthetic | 82 | 96-107 | < 1 Min |
| Lead 190-197 | Synthetic | 82 | 108-115 | < 1 Hour |
| Lead 198-202 | Synthetic | 82 | 116-120 | < 22 Hour |
| Lead 215-220 | Synthetic | 82 | 133-138 | < 3 Min |