PVC containing lead

**Bluegum** · 7th September 2007, 10:14 AM

One of the blokes at work yesterday was talking about normal pvc pipes containing an certain amount of lead. I hadn't heard this before and he went on to explain that certain coloured pvc meant different things and that lead free PVC was a light blueish colour. Now the bloke is working with a plumber as a part time sort of apprentice but I was wondering if some one was having a lend of him or was he having a lend of me. He also said that you shouldn't drink water from your rain water tank because of this reason as well as contaminates from your your roof. Now I have a first flush diverter unit as well but he reckons that water is not really fit to drink unless its well boiled first. Now I have rellies that have relied on tank water for years without worrying about it and I am sure that others here have done the same thing. If the lead thing is correct then how much lead is contained in a length of pipe? Any ideas would be appreciated.

**Big Shed** · 7th September 2007, 10:19 AM

You might want to read this

Lots more info on Google, "lead pvc".

**chrisb691** · 7th September 2007, 10:24 AM

Google PVC +lead, and you will get all the information that desire.

**Bluegum** · 7th September 2007, 08:15 PM

Thanks for that, and yes I will give google a look up tonight as at least I know its not a furfy that he was talking about. As I said I was a bit shocked to hear it that was all.

**frog's wife** · 7th September 2007, 08:51 PM

Water tanks (I thought) were made of polyethelyne and in this test:

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/.../22/2/225/_pdf

the amount of lead in their plyethelyne sample was less than their quite low detection limit.

I think the water tank thing is still ok.

**Big Shed** · 7th September 2007, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by frog's wife

Water tanks (I thought) were made of polyethelyne and in this test:

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/.../22/2/225/_pdf

the amount of lead in their plyethelyne sample was less than their quite low detection limit.

I think the water tank thing is still ok.

Yes they are, at least mine are (from Polymasta)

**Bluegum** · 8th September 2007, 08:15 AM

great posts the gang and lots of usefull info. As I said i was surprised that there would be an amount of lead in PVC, but till you ask then you don't know. I still plan to use my rain water for consumption when I make beer. Apparently rain water makes a really good home brew. Might boil it first though.

**Barry_White** · 8th September 2007, 12:49 PM

Well I have been drinking water that runs through 90mm stormwater pipes for the last 28 years and it sits in the pipe between rain falls and have had no ill effects from it. People have been drinking water from steel tanks soldered up with lead solder for over 150 years with no known ill effects.

The interesting thing is that when I was with Lysaght I had a complaint from a customer that had his rain water tested because of the chromate levels coming off his roof because BHP had put too much chromate on the steel and in amongst the test results it showed there was arsenic in the water. I asked the BHP rep where the arsenic would have come from and he said out of the PVC 150mm sewer pipe that the guy was using for his stormwater pipe.

**chrisb691** · 8th September 2007, 07:14 PM

From he results (some) of google searches, I gather that some of the stabilisers used in the PVC may be lead based. However, I understand that these are at very low levels, and that any lead present at the surface (inside) is flushed off after a few days use. No further lead migrates from within the structure.

It seems that the total lead content of the pvc is well below current safety specs, and that only a small percentage of what is there is actually transmitted to the water.

It was an interesting post, as I never realised that there any lead at all in the material.

**Dr Jan Itor** · 8th September 2007, 08:06 PM

The only water I have consumed for the majority of my life has been from a rainwater tank. SWMBO may beg to differ, but I think I turned out ok.

**Harry72** · 8th September 2007, 10:25 PM

I've drank rain water all my life and I live in the town that makes it, the funny thing.... my lead level is one of the lowest at work(11ug dec/lt, world standard for kids is 10)in a lead refinery!

Lead is virtually harmless in adults below 50ug dec/lt, its the kids we need to worry about.

**Timmo** · 9th September 2007, 06:57 AM

do people ever consider the lead they would be getting from the surfaces of all the brass fittings ie. taps?

It's quite often overlooked.

**dennford** · 9th September 2007, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Barry_White

I had a complaint from a customer that had his rain water tested because of the chromate levels coming off his roof because BHP had put too much chromate on the steel and in amongst the test results it showed there was arsenic in the water. I asked the BHP rep where the arsenic would have come from and he said out of the PVC 150mm sewer pipe that the guy was using for his stormwater pipe.

I was told about this many years ago. The problem seemed to be with people travelling around the country in campers etc who made water tanks from new sewage pipe (maybe it's cheaper than other types of water pipe?). Underground the pipe is very stable but out in the sunlight apparantly the uv light leaches the arsenic out of the pipe leaving a chalky residue on the outside - although I believe that the amount is very minute, water contaminated with this residue wil give you an upset tummy.

Denn

**dennford** · 9th September 2007, 09:28 AM

Anyhow why do you think God gave us wine?

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