EFFECTIVENESS OF WATER TREATMENTS IN PREVENTING CONTAMINATION FROM A
LEADED BRASS
Report No FR0338
Dec 1992
SUMMARY
I BENEFITS
This work provides criteria to determine where the use of leaded copper alloys will not produce unacceptable lead contamination.
II OBJECTIVES
To establish if the water treatments currently used to prevent plumbosolvency will also have a favourable effect on leaded copper alloys and to establish the mechanism of contamination. To determine the effect of galvanic coupling with copper on the contamination level.
III REASONS
Following the publication of British Standard (BS) DD201 , a test method to assess the potential of metallic products to contaminate water supplies, field work was undertaken to investigate the validity of the calibration factor used in the calculation of the final result. This work suggested that the level of contamination might be favourably affected by at least one of the water treatments used to overcome plumbosolvency problems.
IV CONCLUSIONS
V RECOMMENDATIONS
At the current prescribed value for lead of 50µg/L, all the common leaded copper alloys can be accepted for use in contact with those potable waters that have been shown to be satisfactory (i.e. non-plumbosolvent) when in contact with lead pipes.
VI RESUME OF CONTENTS
The report describes a series of laboratory tests on a leaded copper alloy using the DD201 method and a range of waters. In some of the experiments the brass coupons were galvanically coupled to copper foil.
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