How Lead Poisons the Human Body 

Lead poisoning prevention is a preferable option than treatment because you cannot reverse the damaging effects of lead poisoning on your body..

Lead enters tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. Even legally “lead-free” plumbing may contain up to 8 percent lead. The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures which can leach significant amounts of lead into the water, especially hot water.

Lead leaches into water through:

Corrosion* of

  • Pipes
  • Solder
  • Fixtures and Faucets (brass)
  • Fittings

Lead poisoning is caused by the absorption of lead into the body through breathing and eating, (inhalation and ingestion). Lead can slowly cause irreversible damage, first to individual cells, then to the organs and whole body systems.

Ref. - National Resource Defence Council - http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/flead.asp

Lead is devastating to the human body, inhibiting oxygen and calcium transport and altering nerve transmission in the brain. Children andpregnant women are especially vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure. Most lead poisoning occurs when people swallow lead paint chips or breathe in lead dust. The lead builds up in soft tissue -- kidneys, bone marrow, liver, and brain -- as well as bones and teeth. Lead absorption rates vary; the gastrointestinal tracts of adults typically absorb 10-15 percent of ingested lead, while those of pregnant women and children can absorb up to 50 percent.

How does lead get into my tap water?
Lead still can be found in some metal water taps, interior water pipes, or pipes connecting a house to the main water pipe in the street. Lead found in tap water usually comes from the corrosion of older fixtures or from the solder that connects pipes. When water sits in leaded pipes for several hours, lead can leach into the water supply. The EPA estimates that 98% of all homes have pipes‚ fixtures or solder joints in the household plumbing that can leach some level of lead into the tap water and can possibly cause lead poisoning.

Lead Poisoning Symptoms Include:

  • Decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting
  • Decreased energy and fatigue
  • Irritability and hyperactivity
  • Headaches
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Loss of recently acquired developmental skills (in young children)
  • Anaemia or low blood counts
  • Decreased IQ
  • Memory problems and learning disabilities
  • Reduced coordination
  • Premature birth and low birth weight
  • Miscarriages

Lead Poisoning in Children

Studies show that even low concentrations of lead can cause permanent damage including reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and shortened attention span. Some scientists believe that low-level chronic lead exposure in childhood can alter secretion of the human growth hormone, stunting growth and promoting obesity. In rare cases, children with high, untreated blood-lead concentrations (150 micrograms per deciliter) can die from encephalopathy or massive brain damage.
New research indicates that no amount of lead is safe for a child; yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost one million American children under the age of six have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Even low lead doses are a concern for children, since continuing exposure can add up to a significant dose over time.

Children's Special Vulnerability

Children are in double jeopardy from lead because their highest potential for exposure occurs when they are most vulnerable. Since children engage in more hand-to-mouth activity than adults, crawling and playing on the ground, they ingest more contaminants in dust or dirt. This high exposure comes at a time when children's bodies are building their vital organs and skeletal and neural structures; lead is particularly toxic to children's developing nervous systems.

Unfortunately, most children do not present overt symptoms of poisoning. Because their symptoms (ranging from irritability to stomach upset) may not be immediately recognizable as lead-related the majority of cases go undetected.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate lead in my tap water?

High quality lead filters can remove the amount of lead in your drinking water up to 99%. Lead removal filters are an excellent way to protect you and your family from the dangers of lead poisoning.

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Lead Poisoning Facts...