| Effectiveness of Flushing on Reducing Lead and Copper Levels in School Drinking Water Eileen A. Murphy New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, Division of Science and Research, Trenton, NJ 08625 USA Abstract
Samples from drinking water fountains in 50 schools in New Jersey were collected at specific times during a typical school day and analyzed for lead, copper, pH, alkalinity, and hardness. First-draw lead and copper levels (medians 0.010 mg/l and 0.26 mg/l, respectively) decreased significantly after 10 min of flushing in the morning (medians 0.005 mg/l lead and 0.068 mg/l copper) , but levels increased significantly by lunchtime (medians 0.007 mg/l lead and 0.12 mg/l copper) after normal use of fountains in the morning by students. Corrosive water, as defined by the aggressive index, contained significantly higher levels of lead and copper (medians 0.012 mg/l and 0.605 mg/l, respectively) than noncorrosive water (medians 0.005 mg/l and 0.03 mg/l, respectively) . Key words: corrosivity, drinking water, flushing, lead, water. Environ Health Perspect 101:240-241(1993) http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1993/101-3/murphy.html
Address correspondence to E. A. Murphy, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, Division of Science and Research, CN 409, Trenton, NJ 08625 USA. Financial support for this project was made possible through the New Jersey A-280 Safe Drinking Water Fund. I acknowledge the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, Bureau of Radiation and Inorganic Analytical Services, for analyzing the water samples and Gene Hall of the Rutgers Chemistry Department for performing validation analysis on split samples.
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