Water Quality of U.S. Drinking Water Kiosks: Lead Release from "Lead-free" Plumbing after Reverse Osmosis Treatment.

ABSTRACT: Many Americans distrust tap water, leading them to purchase more expensive drinking water sold from water vending machines (e.g., kiosks) that are poorly regulated and sparingly monitored for quality. Here, we analyzed the water quality of 20 kiosks from 4 different manufacturers across 6 states in the first comprehensive comparison of the chemical and microbial characteristics of kiosk water to paired tap samples. Of the 16 kiosks listing specific water treatment processes (others indicated "filtered" or "purified"), only 1 dispensed water with ionic composition (e.g., Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) inconsistent with the stated treatment. Most kiosks tested used reverse osmosis (RO), which removed fluoride and residual disinfectant, although we found no evidence of micr

SUBMITTER: Zuhlke S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12947684 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature