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Public Health Consequences of Lead in Drinking Water

Current Environmental Health Reports volume 5, pages 255–262 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Lead can enter drinking water from lead service lines and lead-containing plumbing, particularly in the presence of corrosive water. We review the current evidence on the role of drinking water as a source of lead exposure and its potential impacts on health, with an emphasis on children. Drinking water guidelines and mitigation strategies are also presented.

Recent Findings

The impact of lead on neurodevelopmental effects in children even at low levels of exposure is well established. Population and toxicokinetic modeling studies have found a clear relationship between water lead levels and blood lead levels in children at low levels of lead in drinking water. Various mitigation strategies can lower lead levels in water.

Summary

The importance of drinking water as a contributor to total lead exposure depends on water lead levels and the amount consumed, as well as the relative contribution of other sources. Efforts should be made to reduce lead exposure for all sources, including drinking water, considering that no threshold level of exposure exists for the neurodevelopmental effects of lead in children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Direction de la santé environnementale et de la toxicologie, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 945, Avenue Wolfe, Québec, QC, G1V 5B3, Canada

    Patrick Levallois, Mathieu Valcke & Denis Gauvin

  2. Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada

    Patrick Levallois

  3. Environmental Health Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Prabjit Barn & Tom Kosatsky

  4. National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Prabjit Barn & Tom Kosatsky

  5. École de santé publique de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Mathieu Valcke

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  1. Patrick Levallois
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  2. Prabjit Barn
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  3. Mathieu Valcke
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  4. Denis Gauvin
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  5. Tom Kosatsky
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Correspondence to Patrick Levallois.

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Levallois, P., Barn, P., Valcke, M. et al. Public Health Consequences of Lead in Drinking Water. Curr Envir Health Rpt 5, 255–262 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-018-0193-0

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Keywords

  • Lead
  • Water
  • Health impacts
  • Regulations
  • Action levels
  • Mitigation