The Oakland Unified School District is grappling with high lead content found in water at some of its schools. The heavy metal is toxic and hazardous to human health.
Here what you need to know about lead.
Q: What is the safe amount of lead in drinking water?
A: There is no safe amount of lead in drinking water, according to Asa Bradman, a professor of public health at the University of California Merced. Federal and state law caps the amount of acceptable lead in drinking water at 15 parts per billion, but some school districts have enacted policies to further restrict that limit, including Oakland Unified which has a limit of 5 ppb and Berkeley Unified which has a limit of 1 ppb.
Q: What are the dangers of lead in drinking water?
A: While there are many factors that influence lead’s impact on the body — such as length and amount of exposure — lead levels in drinking water can be particularly dangerous, Bradman said.
“If you drink lead in water, pretty much all of it is absorbed into the body,” Bradman said, whereas “if you ingest lead from paint . . . a relatively small proportion of that actually gets absorbed into the body.”
Q: How does lead get into drinking water?
A: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the most common sources of lead in drinking water are in plumbing — pipes, faucets and other fixtures.
Q: What are the health impacts of lead absorption?
A: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to negatively impact children’s health. Exposure to lead can cause damage to the brain and slow development, leading to a lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention and underperformance in school, the organization said. Risk varies depending on the individual, the conditions of the water and the amount consumed. Lead is not absorbed through the skin, the CDC said.
Q: How long does lead remain in the body?
A: According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, lead is released from the body very slowly and both past and current elevated exposures can increase the risk of health effects.
Q: How do I know if I have been exposed?
A: Lead cannot be seen, tested or smelled in drinking water according to the CDC. The best way to know if you’ve been exposed to lead in drinking water is to have your water tested.
Q: How do I get tested?
A: A health care provider can decide if a blood lead test is needed and determine any necessary follow-up actions, the CDC said.