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Variability and sampling of lead (Pb) in drinking water: Assessing potential human exposure depends on the sampling protocol
Citation:
Triantafyllidou, S., J. Burkhardt, J. Tully, K. Cahalan, Mike DeSantis, D. Lytle, AND M. Schock. Variability and sampling of lead (Pb) in drinking water: Assessing potential human exposure depends on the sampling protocol. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL. Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, 146:106259, (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106259
Impact/Purpose:
Lead (Pb) in drinking water can vary widely in space and in time (i.e., between homes, within homes and even at the same tap over time). Spatial and temporal water Pb variability in buildings is the combined result of water chemistry, hydraulics, Pb plumbing materials and water use patterns. This makes it challenging to obtain meaningful water Pb data with which to estimate exposure risk to residents. The objectives of this work are to describe the root causes of intrinsic Pb variability in water and the numerous existing water sampling protocols for Pb. Such knowledge can assist the public health community, the drinking water industry and other interested groups to interpret/compare existing drinking water Pb data, develop an appropriate sampling protocol to answer a specific question relating to Pb in water, and specifically evaluate the exposure risk posed by Pb-contaminated water. Overall, water sampling for Pb assessment is a flexible tool with many purposes. Regulatory compliance sampling protocols are useful in assessing community-wide compliance with a water Pb regulatory standard by typically employing practical single-samples. More complex multi-sample protocols are useful for comprehensive Pb plumbing source determination or Pb type identification in buildings. Exposure assessment protocols further employ cumulative water samples that directly capture an approximate average water Pb concentration over a prolonged period of normal household water use. Each protocol has a specific use answering one or more questions relevant to Pb in water. In order to establish statistical correlations to blood Pb measurements or to predict blood Pb levels from existing datasets, researchers need to understand the suitability of available drinking water Pb datasets in representing water Pb exposure.
Description:
Lead (Pb) in drinking water can vary widely in space and in time (i.e., between homes, within homes and even at the same tap over time). Spatial and temporal water Pb variability in buildings is the combined result of water chemistry, hydraulics, Pb plumbing materials and water use patterns. This makes it challenging to obtain meaningful water Pb data with which to estimate exposure risk to residents. The objectives of this work are to describe the root causes of intrinsic Pb variability in water and the numerous existing water sampling protocols for Pb. Such knowledge can assist the public health community, the drinking water industry and other interested groups to interpret/compare existing drinking water Pb data, develop an appropriate sampling protocol to answer a specific question relating to Pb in water, and specifically evaluate the exposure risk posed by Pb-contaminated water. Overall, water sampling for Pb assessment is a flexible tool with many purposes. Regulatory compliance sampling protocols are useful in assessing community-wide compliance with a water Pb regulatory standard by typically employing practical single-samples. More complex multi-sample protocols are useful for comprehensive Pb plumbing source determination or Pb type identification in buildings. Exposure assessment protocols further employ cumulative water samples that directly capture an approximate average water Pb concentration over a prolonged period of normal household water use. Each protocol has a specific use answering one or more questions relevant to Pb in water. In order to establish statistical correlations to blood Pb measurements or to predict blood Pb levels from existing datasets, researchers need to understand the suitability of available drinking water Pb datasets in representing water Pb exposure.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Variability and sampling of lead (Pb) in drinking water: Assessing potential human exposure depends on the sampling protocol
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