Long-Term Behavior of Simulated Partial Lead Service Line Replacements.

ABSTRACT: In this 48-month pilot study, long-term impacts of copper:lead galvanic connections on lead release to water were assessed without confounding differences in pipe exposure prehistory or disturbances arising from cutting lead pipe. Lead release was tracked from three lead service line configurations, including (1) 100% lead, (2) traditional partial replacement with 50% copper upstream of 50% lead, and (3) 50% lead upstream of 50% copper as a function of flow rate, connection types, and sampling methodologies. Elevated lead from galvanic corrosion worsened with time, with 140% more lead release from configurations representing traditional partial replacement configurations at 14 months compared to earlier data in the first 8 months. Even when sampled consistently at moderate flow rate (8 LPM

SUBMITTER: St Clair J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4770854 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature