Fountain Autopsy to Determine Lead Occurrence in Drinking Water
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 3
Abstract
Exposure to lead in drinking water poses a risk for various adverse health effects, and significant efforts have been made to monitor and eliminate lead exposure in drinking water. This study focused on the localization of lead exposure from 71 drinking water fountains in nonresidential buildings in order to determine the source of elevated lead and understand the effects of fountains associated with lead concentration in drinking water. Drinking water fountains containing lead-lined cooling tanks and brass fittings were found to release lead concentrations in excess of , and fountains with low or infrequent usage and those with cooling tanks produced the highest concentrations (in excess of ) of lead. One particular fountain model found at several locations throughout the institution was associated with some of the highest lead concentrations measured throughout the study. This fountain was recalled in the United States, but not in Canada. This article adds to existing research demonstrating that drinking water fountains are a potentially significant and underappreciated source of lead exposure in nonresidential buildings.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the research funding provided by the NSERC/Halifax Water Industrial Research Chair program and through STEWARD, an NSERC CREATE program. The authors would like to acknowledge all the technical support and assistance provided by the staff at the JD Kline Water Supply Plant, Heather Daurie, research chemist in the Water Quality Laboratory at Dalhousie University, and Jessica Campbell, lab technician at the JD Kline Water Supply Plant. The authors also acknowledge the Institute for Research in Materials (IRM) at Dalhousie University for assistance in materials characterization.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 3 • March 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 14, 2015
Accepted: Sep 2, 2015
Published online: Nov 20, 2015
Published in print: Mar 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Apr 20, 2016
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