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IMPACT OF LEAD AND OTHER METALLIC SOLDERS ON WATER QUALITY
Citation:
Murrell, N. IMPACT OF LEAD AND OTHER METALLIC SOLDERS ON WATER QUALITY. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-90/056 (NTIS PB91125724), 1990.
Description:
A study of the relationship between water quality at the consumer's taps and the corrosion of lead solder was conducted under actual field conditions in 90 homes supplied by public water in the South Huntington Water District (New York) and at l4 houses supplied by private wells in Suffolk County on Long Island (New York). he South Huntington Water District water supply is composed of wells that feed water to a series of storage tanks from which water is distributed to individual homes. he 90 homes were selected to provided l0 sites of 9 house construction age groups--from new to those more than 20 years old. he study was done in three phases three different pH ranges (5.0-6.8, 7.0-7.4, and 8.0 and greater). he phase I study was preformed without any pH adjustments on the water sources. hase II and III studies consisted of raising the pH by the addition of caustic soda and maintaining pH for thirty days prior to the sampling. fter an overnight period of nonuse, a series of samples were collected at specific time intervals to evaluate the effect of time on the leaching rate of lead. ata were collected on leaching of cadmium and copper and water quality parameters were monitored. n the 2nd part of the investigation, a more controlled, four-pipe loop study was conducted with the same corrosive Long Island water. ach pipe loop consisted of approximately 60 feet of copper pipe with 22 solder joints, each loop having a different type of solder: 1) tin/lead; 2) tin/antimony; 3) silver/copper, and 4) tin/copper. he four loop solder test results indicate the tin/antimony, silver/copper, and tin/copper can be used with only minor metal leaching.