Journal article
Estimating Consumers at Risk from Drinking Elevated Lead Concentrations: An Iowa Case Study
Environmental science & technology letters, Vol.7(12), pp.948-953
12/08/2020
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00753
Abstract
The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) addresses lead in drinking water through utility-centric monitoring in high risk homes, corrosion control, and public education. These utility-centric activities, however, do not provide adequate information on lead concentrations in individual homes and leave an unknown number of consumers at risk from drinking water lead. To assess the number of consumers at risk from drinking elevated lead concentrations, we mined 166,554 lead samples taken for LCR compliance in Iowa and developed a new approach for estimating the number of consumers at risk. We estimate that 65,000 ± 14,000 people in Iowa are at risk from drinking water lead above the U.S. EPA action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) each year. We further explored the average household sampling rates of community water systems (CWSs) of different population sizes, where, overall, 8.6% of homes in an Iowa CWS are sampled. Our estimates indicate that, even in the absence of a lead-in-water crisis, a significant number of people are at risk from lead concentrations exceeding available guidelines, raising concerns about the severity of baseline lead concentrations in drinking water nationwide. Our analysis highlights that consumer-centric lead in drinking water policies and avoidance strategies are needed to ensure public protection.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Estimating Consumers at Risk from Drinking Elevated Lead Concentrations: An Iowa Case Study
- Creators
- Amina Grant - Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringMichelle M Scherer - Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringDanielle Land - Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringDavid M Cwiertny - Public Policy CenterMarc A Edwards - Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringJerry Mount - Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringDrew E Latta - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Environmental science & technology letters, Vol.7(12), pp.948-953
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society
- DOI
- 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00753
- ISSN
- 2328-8930
- eISSN
- 2328-8930
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000082, name: National Science Foundation, award: DGE-1546595, DGE-1633098; DOI: 10.13039/100000139, name: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, award: EPA-G2017-ORD-F1; name: Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, University of Iowa; name: National Science Foundation Division of Graduate Education, award: 1633098
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/08/2020
- Academic Unit
- Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination; Geographical and Sustainability Sciences; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering; Chemistry; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984066348102771
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