Lead Leaching from Faucet Fixtures Under Residential Conditions

Faucet fixtures have been shown to be a significant source of lead exposure. For this study, samples were taken from approximately 1,000 faucets in residential use after an overnight standing time. Approximately seven percent of those faucets delivered lead concentrations that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's action limit of 15 micrograms per liter. Lead concentrations caused by faucets are significantly greater than lead concentrations that occur in the plumbing line just behind the faucets. Bathroom faucets leach more lead than kitchen faucets. Lead concentrations increase with standing times. Newer faucets leach more lead than older faucets, although for faucets of all age categories, at least five percent of the samples had lead concentrations that exceeded the action limit. Faucets manufactured primarily with sand-casting methods yield significantly higher lead concentrations than those manufactured with other methods.