Addressing Lead Presence in Aging Infrastructure
Research seeks to improve processes for healthier drinking water

Lead (Pb) is a poisonous environmental pollutant that can be found in high concentrations in drinking water. Lead exposure through tap water remains a serious threat to public health, which could result in severe health impacts, particularly for developing juveniles. Lead in tap water mainly originates from corrosion of lead pipes or fittings, but emerging evidence suggests that plastic polyethene pipes in building plumbing (75% of new construction) could accumulate lead on their surface. Work is needed to understand lead accumulation onto and transport within these plastic materials. Plastic pipes are increasingly being used to replace older metallic plumbing and construct new drinking water systems due to their lower cost, easy installation, corrosion resistance, and longer service life. Lead deposition onto plastic pipes can become a public health threat when deposited metals are released into drinking water.

Thus, this research investigates lead deposition onto and release from the commonly used plastic potable water plumbing with an aim to better understand and control these processes and develop recommendations for healthier drinking water. This research will develop new methods to identify previous lead exposure incidents throughout plumbing systems. Successful completion of this project will lead to better understanding of lead fate within potable water plumbing to minimize public exposure.

This project, led by Dr. Maryam Salehi, will enhance the regulators' and water suppliers' awareness about the risks of operational and water quality fluctuations on public exposure to lead, particularly in low socioeconomic, urban communities where the majority of aging infrastructure presents.

For more information, contact Salehi at maryam.s@memphis.edu.