Lead contamination is a serious issue because it accumulates in the body to cause health problems in the long run, especially in young children and unborn babies. Some pollutants and contaminants are easily detectable because they have a distinctive smell, color or taste, unlike lead.
Lead poisoning happens when people use old water pipes or fixtures. Although you can replace your pipes at home or in your building, it’s difficult to control lead contamination that happens at the main water source.
Here are some of the symptoms of lead poisoning:
- Loss of weight and appetite.
- Deterioration of physical development in children.
- Learning difficulties.
- Memory loss.
- Constipation and abdominal pain.
Boiling water doesn’t get rid of lead. You should use a filter that uses the reverse osmosis method, distillation or an activated carbon filter. Distillation is the most expensive, yet the best way to get rid of lead followed by reverse osmosis which can be found in several filter systems. The most affordable way is using an activated carbon filter which also gets rid of other heavy metals and microorganisms.