Evaluation of exposure to lead from drinking water in large buildings. 2016

Elise Deshommes, and Robert C Andrews, and Graham Gagnon, and Tim McCluskey, and Brad McIlwain, and Evelyne Doré, and Shokoufeh Nour, and Michèle Prévost
Polytechnique Montreal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada. Electronic address: e.deshommes@polymtl.ca.

Lead results from 78,971 water samples collected in four Canadian provinces from elementary schools, daycares, and other large buildings using regulatory and investigative sampling protocols were analyzed to provide lead concentration distributions. Maximum concentrations reached 13,200 and 3890 μg/L following long and short stagnation periods respectively. High lead levels were persistent in some large buildings, reflected by high median values considering all taps, or specific to a few taps in the building. Simulations using the Integrated Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) model and lead concentrations after 30 min of stagnation in the dataset showed that, for most buildings, exposure to lead at the tap does not increase children's blood lead levels (BLLs). However, buildings or taps with extreme concentrations represent a significant health risk to young children attending school or daycare, as the estimated BLL far exceeded the 5 μg/dL threshold. Ingestion of water from specific taps could lead to acute exposure. Finally, for a few taps, the total daily lead intake reached the former World Health Organization (WHO) tolerable level for adults, suggesting potential health risks.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007854 Lead A soft, grayish metal with poisonous salts; atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.2, symbol Pb.
D002170 Canada The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.
D004781 Environmental Exposure The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals. Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014874 Water Pollutants, Chemical Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water. Chemical Water Pollutants,Landfill Leachate,Leachate, Landfill,Pollutants, Chemical Water
D060766 Drinking Water Water that is intended to be ingested. Bottled Water,Potable Water,Water, Bottled,Water, Drinking,Water, Potable

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