Lead in Chinese Faucets
Lead is by some accounts more dangerous than arsenic. The maximum acceptable level of lead contamination in drinking-water in the U.S. and Canada set by the EPA and CEPA is 5 parts per billion (ppb) – that`s billion with a "b". Yet, that may still be too much lead. According to the World Health Organization: "there is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe." Regulators would prefer a "no-lead" standard, But, the EPA`s maximum lead level of 5 ppb in drinking-water reflects what is do-able with current technology. But, expect the level to be set lower as technology improves. Lead has deleterious effects on human health particularly of children, attacking the brain and central nervous system causing developmental and learning disorders and, in severe cases, dementia, coma and even death. In China, the source of most off-brand faucets sold in the U.S. and Canada, there is no lead limit in drinking-water, and faucets made in China for the domestic market often contain large amounts of lead. Lead is still prized in Chinese manufacturing because it is plentiful, cheap, malleable, and resistant to corrosion. Lead compounds are regularly added to plastics and vinyl to make them more resistant to high temperatures. It is added to cheap metal products to make them seem more substantial by increasing their weight. The usual substitute for lead in lead-free brass is bizmuth. Bizmuth is 300 times rarer than lead, even rarer than silver, and much more costly. As a result, lead-free brass is considerably more expensive giving Chinese manufacuters a strong financial incentive to use leaded rather than lead-free brass in their faucets. Most Chinese (including doctors) do not recognize lead as a significant hazard. As a result, few regulations have been enacted to control for lead. Lead contamination is not taken seriously by the Chinese faucet industry or by government regulators. Acute lead poisoning of entire towns and villages from nearby smelters and factories is common in China. Chronic long-term exposure from smokestacks, lead paint, coal burning, and contaminated water affects millions of Chinese citizens. According to Human Rights Watch, Chinese parents seeking help for children with typical lead poisoning symptoms: loss of appetite, incessant fever, sluggish and agitated behavior, are commonly arrested rather than given aid. By some estimates, as many as 1/3rd of all children in China are affected by some degree of lead poisoning. China has no EPA to help control environmental pollution, and nothing like OSHA to regulate exposure to dangerous pollutants in the workplace. Chinese government assessments of contaminants in the environment are known to be wildly unreliable. The government has repeatedly declared Bejing`s water supply safe, but a recent study by Chinese scientists of water in the reservoir that feeds 60% of Beijing households found levels of lead 20 times the maximum set by the World Health Organization. No one, not even the most experienced expert, can tell by looking at a faucet whether or not it contains a dangerous amount of lead. The only safeguard is testing and certification by an accredited laboratory that a faucet is "lead-free" to the very strict North American standards. If your faucet is not certified, it may very well be slowly and silently poisoning you and your family.
But that changed a few years ago, as consumers became more demanding about safe drinking water, and manufacturers became more sophisticated and expensive. Something to keep in mind when choosing a faucet.
