Lead poisoning occurs when lead accumulates in the body over a long period of time—frequently months or years. Even small doses of lead poisoning can cause major health issues. It’s especially dangerous for children under the age of six, as it can have a negative effect on their mental and physical development. If you’re concerned about the lead concentration in your water, here are the major signs of lead concentrations in the water supply.
Major Causes of Lead Poisoning
Lead is a naturally occurring metal in the Earth’s crust, although it has become more ubiquitous due to human activity such as mining, burning fossil fuels, and manufacturing. Lead was also used in paint and gasoline in the past, and it’s still used in batteries, solder, pipes, pottery, roofing materials, and some cosmetics. However, the most common cause of lead poisoning is from the water supply. Lead pipes, brass plumbing fixtures, and copper pipes soldered with lead can all leach lead into the water supply. If you don’t have a filter system, lead will continue to contaminate your drinking water, harming you over time.
If you know your home uses lead, copper, or brass plumbing, you may need to consider whether your water supply could be at risk of containing lead.
Common Symptoms of Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning can be difficult to detect at first; even people who appear to be healthy might have high levels of lead in their blood. Symptoms frequently don’t develop until unsafe levels have been reached. Some of the most common symptoms of lead poisoning include:
- High blood pressure
- Muscle and joint pain
- Trouble remembering things or concentrating
- Headache
- Pain in the abdomen
- Mood disturbances
- Low sperm count
- Miscarriage, stillbirth, or early birth
If you or someone in your household is experiencing any of these symptoms, you may have lead in your water supply.
Best Ways To Prevent Lead Poisoning
The possibility of lead in your drinking water may seem frightening, but it’s actually a quite simple problem to resolve. Most modern water filters are quite effective in removing pollutants such as lead, copper, and magnesium. Reverse osmosis filters are among the best of them. These filters use semipermeable membranes to transfer water molecules through, removing all particulates and leaving only clean, great-tasting water behind.
We hope this article has been helpful in explaining the major signs of lead concentrations in the water supply. If you’re planning on installing a water system in your home, be sure you know the differences between water filtration and water softening. This understanding will likely save you a lot of time, hassle, and even money.
