Pieper Kelsey J, Katner Adrienne, Kriss Rebecca, Tang Min, Edwards Marc A
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 418 Durham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA E-mail:
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; † These authors contributed equally to the work.
J Water Health. 2019 Aug;17(4):540-555. doi: 10.2166/wh.2019.272.
The pervasiveness of lead in drinking water poses a significant public health threat, which can be reduced by implementing preventive measures. However, the causes of elevated lead in water and the benefits of lead in water avoidance strategies are often misunderstood. Based on experiences in the United States, this paper describes an oversimplified 'lead in water equation' to explain key variables controlling the presence of lead in drinking water to better inform public health practitioners, government officials, utility personnel, and concerned residents. We illustrate the application of the equation in Flint, Michigan and explore the primary household-level water lead avoidance strategies recommended during the crisis, including flushing, filtration, bottled water use, and lead pipe removal. In addition to lead reduction, strategies are evaluated based on costs and limitations. While these lead avoidance strategies will reduce water lead to some degree, the costs, limitations, and effectiveness of these strategies will be site- and event-specific. This paper presents a simplified approach to communicate key factors which must be considered to effectively reduce waterborne lead exposures for a wide range of decision makers.
饮用水中铅的普遍存在对公众健康构成了重大威胁，可通过实施预防措施加以降低。然而，水中铅含量升高的原因以及避免水中铅的策略所带来的益处常常被误解。基于美国的经验，本文描述了一个过于简化的“水中铅方程”，以解释控制饮用水中铅存在的关键变量，从而更好地为公共卫生从业者、政府官员、公用事业人员以及相关居民提供信息。我们阐述了该方程在密歇根州弗林特市的应用，并探讨了危机期间推荐的主要家庭层面避免水中铅的策略，包括冲洗、过滤、使用瓶装水以及拆除铅管。除了降低铅含量外，还根据成本和局限性对这些策略进行了评估。虽然这些避免铅的策略将在一定程度上降低水中的铅含量，但这些策略的成本、局限性和有效性将因地点和具体情况而异。本文提出了一种简化方法，以传达为广泛的决策者有效减少水传播铅暴露必须考虑的关键因素。
