Is There Lead in The Water You Brush With? (And Why You Should Care!)

SUMMARY

The lead content in the water supply to our homes is an alarming problem. Prompt action is crucial in eliminating the health risk associated with lead ingestion and toxicity. The harmful effects of lead toxicity are not only limited to drinking water but also to the water used in our bathrooms to brush our teeth. The Nasoni Under Sink Filter is not only a cost-effective and efficient way to filter out the lead in the contaminated water supply and protect the body from its harmful effects.

Even though the water crisis in Flint, Michigan (2015), is the most popularly discussed lead in water incidents, it is not the only one. Lead toxicity affects a majority of the states all over the country.

This was further discussed by Kristi Pullen Fedinick, a public health scientist at the nonprofit NRDC, who stated: "This is a problem that affects every state in the country." So much so that a recent analysis mapped out at least a thousand more places where water testing had revealed the presence of lead from the year 2018 to 2020.

Do Other Flint Michigan-Like Problems Exist?

Between the years 2018 and 2020, at least 18 million individuals living in the United States were exposed to higher lead levels than those recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Moreover, reports have also shown at least 61 million of the population to be exposed to levels of lead of more than five parts per million in their water system, surpassing the limits encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration for Bottled Water (1).

This is particularly concerning as the high levels of lead can affect health and lead to severe toxic effects. Higher exposure to lead in children can lead to intellectual and neurological deficits and may significantly increase the chances of developing ADHD (2).

The Biden government has proposed purifying the household water supply from lead by removing all lead pipes used to supply water from the water mains to the individual houses. According to Pullen Fedinick, this can be achieved by completely replacing lead pipes with lead-free alternatives and using an efficient filtration system.

Defective Water Main

The following comes from an article written by the National Institute of Health (NIH) titled:  Reaction to the Solution: Lead Exposure Following Partial Service Line Replacement

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently warned public health officials that new agency findings suggest partial replacement of lead service lines may be linked to an increased incidence of high blood lead levels in children. Some drinking water experts are now saying the CDC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should consider jointly recommending a moratorium on partial service line replacement based on this new information.
       
To understand the potential impact of partial lead service line replacement, Virginia Tech environmental engineer Marc Edwards suggests an analogy with lead paint. “We all understand that lead paint becomes a hazard if it’s disturbed,” he says. “Our research indicates that doing a partial [lead] service line replacement is analogous to creating a source of lead dust right in your home, where it is very accessible by children. The ‘dust’ in this case, which is in the form of lead rust on the pipe, builds up continuously over time. If and when it comes off [the pipe], the amount of lead [in drinking water] can vastly exceed health standards.” He adds, “But instead of realizing this is a potential hazard, homeowners have a false sense of security, because they are told that partial service line replacements are being conducted to improve the situation.”

 

Since water supply to the bathrooms is a rising concern, bathroom water filters like Nasoni’s Made in the US, under sink bathroom water filter can act as an efficient lead removal system.

More than 5,300 US Water Systems Violated Lead Testing Rules

NRDC Lead Violation Study Results

Data courtesy of NRDC:  Reports by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have shown more than 5000 community water systems violated the Lead and Copper Rule introduced by EPA in 2015.

"Americans take it for granted that the water flowing from their home taps is clean and safe, but all too often, that assumption is wrong. Shoddy data collection, lax enforcement of the law, and cities gaming the system have created a potent brew of lead violations. These ultimately led to unsafe drinking water from the water supplies used by millions of people across the nation," Erik Olson stated, the Health Program Director at Natural Resources Defense  Council (NRDC). "Flint doesn't even show up as having violations for lead in the EPA's drinking water tracking data. Suggesting that millions more Americans could be at risk of drinking unsafe water. They aren't even being tracked," she added.

This was further proven in a recent report by the NRDC, which illustrated how many communities all over United Stated are failing to keep their water adequately lead-free. These violations are limited to the inability to keep lead out of the water supply and provide adequate treatment to corroded pipes and make testing results available to the concerned regulators. (3)

How Does Lead Get Into Our Water System?

One way lead gets in the water systems due to corrosion. Corrosion is a chemical reaction in plumbing materials containing quantities of lead or other metal. The corroded lead from pipes and other fixtures dissolves in water and flows with water used in kitchens and bathrooms. The degree of lead incorporation or mixing into the water depends on certain factors, including:

  • The PH of the water
  • The type of minerals and their quantities present in the water
  • The degree of contact between the lead and the water
  • Temperature of water
  • The presence of wear in the pipes
  • The time for which water may stay inside the pipes (4)

Another Growing Concern? Contraband Faucets Sold in the US Illegally

Illegal, Uncertified Black Market Faucets are being sold on Amazon, Wayfair and other sites.

Faucets being used in the bathroom and kitchen in every household hold a lot of importance. Uncertified faucets can introduce toxic substances in one's drinking and cooking water, along with the water supplied in the bathrooms for brushing teeth.

Every type of faucet sold in the market must pass through strict tests and standards, ensuring its safety and reliability for public use. These include certification for the NSF/ANSI standards. 

  • The NSF/ANSI 61

The NSF/ANSI 61 Drinking Water System standard mainly focuses on the health effects and sets standard water system components.

  • The NSF/ANSI 372

The NSD/ANSI 372 standard is concerned with providing lead-free plumbing and established standard methodology to minimize the lead contamination of water. (5)

However, recently, an increasing number of contraband faucets are being sold in the United States illegally and have not undergone certification for the NSF/ANSI standards. Most of these illegal, black market faucets are available at online marketplaces like Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock, and eBay, at low costs that attract many buyers. StarCraft Custom Builders goes into great detail explaining this in an article on their website titled: Illegal and Black-Market Faucets in North America. Nasoni is in support of their efforts to raise awareness of this growing problem; an excerpt from their article reads as follows:

All of these are made overseas, mostly in China, but a few are manufactured in Taiwan, India, Israel, Italy, and Vietnam — country of origin is not a sure indicator of a safe and legal faucet.

Determining which off-brand faucets are legal and safe and which are not is not a simple process. Sellers of contraband, black market faucets do not identify their products as contraband. On the contrary, many claim their faucets are completely lawful, going so far, in our experience, as to produce altered and forged documentation when asked to prove the legitimacy of their products.

So, how do you avoid unsafe faucets, and more importantly, why should you bother? Should you care whether a faucet complies with the complex web of U.S. or Canadian laws and regulations? Isn't this just more government interference in our already over-regulated lives?

No, it isn't. Which is not to say that some government regulations are unnecessary and a confounded nuisance. Faucet regulations, however, are not among them.

Faucets can be dangerous. They can introduce all manner of toxic materials into your household drinking and cooking water: lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and other substances, all undetectable and all very hazardous even in small amounts.
No one, not even the most experienced plumber, can look at a faucet at a pretty picture on Amazon or Wayfair and detect whether it contains dangerous materials. Faucets containing hazardous amounts of known toxins look just like faucets that are perfectly harmless. The only way to ensure that a faucet is not dangerous is to extensively test it in a licensed laboratory.

 

The popularity and high purchase rates of the products appearing on shopping websites create a false sense of trust. But in truth, most of these products aren't tested for the primary standard requirements, nor anything else for that matter. Imagine buying an uncertified faucet from Amazon or other online website and it leaking and flooding your home.  It's doubtful insurance would cover the problem. Why take the chance?

How To Know Whether Or Not Your Tap Water Is Contaminated With Lead

Testing Water for Lead 

Consuming bottled water for drinking purposes while using lead-contaminated water from counterfeit faucets for brushing teeth may not benefit the user. The mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body.

The best way to investigate whether the water you are using contains high amounts of lead is to research potential sources of the contamination. The sources may be in the form of plumbing devices or faulty service lines. You can ask the water provider about the presence of lead in the service line and whether there are programs that may assist you in the replacement of these. (6) 

The Effects of Lead Exposure During Brushing Teeth

In addition to the negative effects of lead on the neurodevelopment and growth of children, as discussed previously, lead exposure via contaminated bathroom water may also contribute to several oral manifestations due to brushing teeth.

Studies have shown, those with long-term exposure to lead have greater chances of undergoing tooth loss which can be assessed by the increased lead concentration in the bones and evaluation of remaining teeth along with the history of when they were shed off (lost). (7)

More specifically, oral changes are due to the ability of the lead exposure to alter the normal enamel formation of teeth, leading to higher chances of tooth decay and periodontal bone loss. (8)

Why Choose A Nasoni Under Sink Bathroom Filter?

Nasoni Under Sink Bathroom Water Filter

If your water contains ANY amount of lead, installing a bathroom water filter is a great option for lead filtration. In general, carbon-basedfilters are good bets. However, to be sure the lead removing water filter you choose is effective, you must consider the following important points:

  1. The filter must be properly certified by the NSF, WQA, or other recognized certifying agencies to remove lead.
  2. The filter should not just remove contaminants but also improve the overall quality of the water, which includes getting rid of foul taste and pungent smells.
  3. It should preserve beneficial minerals like calcium magnesium, iron and other natural minerals necessary for our bodies.
  4. It should be easy to install
  5. It should last for at least 3,000 gallons so that it doesn't require replacement often.
  6. The flow rate should not reduce the normal flow rate of the faucet.
  7. It should be easy to maintain / replace.

Having a filter certified from the NSF, an ANSI accredited organization founded in 1994, helps differentiate it from other inferior quality filters and promotes safer water for usage in households. The two common NSF/ANSI standards include:

The NSF/ANSI standard 42 includes the POU and POE systems, which focus primarily on reducing aesthetic and other non-health-related contaminants from the public and private drinking water. The Nasoni Under Sink Filters are certified meeting the NSF/ANSI Standard 42.   

Unlike the NSF/ANSI Standard 42, NSF/ANSI Standard 53 primarily focuses on the health-related contaminants affecting the water systems. An efficient lead-free filter, ensuring lead removal meanwhile meeting the NSF/ANSI Standard 53, is the Nasoni Under Sink Bathroom Filter.

The Nasoni under sink bathroom water filter is a high-quality product that has consistently proven superior performance in meeting the highest standards in terms of safety, performance, and purification. It complies with all drinking water filter criteria established by the NSF. And, it meets or exceeds all of 7 important points above.  

Nasoni's High-Quality, Under Sink Bathroom Water Filter removes lead 

Faucet Mounted Filters vs. Nasoni Under Sink Bathroom Water Filter

Faucet Mount vs Nasoni Under Sink Bathroom Water Filter

Faucet mounted filters vs. Under Sink Water filters

Compared to Nasoni under sink bathroom water filters, faucet mounted filters require more installation steps that can go awry and can range in price between $29 to $49. These types of filters are difficult to put into the faucets, and users with conditions like arthritis may not attach them correctly.

Moreover, the faucet mounted fillers require separate adapters to help them fit into the faucet, as not all faucet designs may complement these filters. On the other hand, Nasoni under sink bathroom water filters do not require these adapters and will save the extra money. 

Nasoni Under Sink Bathroom Water Filter

Nasoni's under sink bathroom water filter is installed under your bathroom sink. It filters water used for drinking, brushing your teeth, and washing your face. The Nasoni under sink bathroom water filter is a popular choice of water treatment among homeowners. Simple installation and ease of moving the filter from one sink to another provide a streamlined approach to healthy living. Some of the advantages of this lead-free filter system include: 

  1. Out of Sight: The filter is installed under the sink and is covered by a cabinet. This hides all the pipes and plumbing from sight. Since the filter is directly attached to the plumbing, you can get immediate access to clean water.
  2. Faster water Flow: Nasoni's under sink bathroom water filters are connected directly to your bathroom faucet's cold-water line. You do not have to use bottled water to get access to clean water. And with a faster flow rate, you won't have to wait for healthy water.
  3. Performance: Under sink water filters offer incredible filtration performance, which typically exceeds the level of filtration you'd get from standard faucet-mount filters.  Nasoni's under sink bathroom water filters reduce up to 99% contaminants, including lead, chlorine, and more.
  4. Long-Life: Nasoni's under sink bathroom water filters function for 3,000 gallons before they start to lose capability. Faucet mount filters typically only provide adequate filtration for 100-300 gallons. (9)
  5. Cost: Nasoni under sink bathroom water filters have a list price of $129, and with long operational life, they are much more cost-effective than faucet mount filters. To achieve equivalent performance, even the most efficient units (300 gallons) would require ten filter units at the cost of $400 (average cost of $40 ea) to achieve similar performance.

Install a Certified Nasoni Bathroom Fountain Faucet

Nasoni's bathroom fountain faucets are certified by IAPMO R&T, North America’s premier plumbing and mechanical product certification agency 

Once you are sure the water supply to your bathroom is free of harmful substances like lead, you can carry on with other upgrades. Upgrades include replacing your ordinary faucet with the Nasoni bathroom fountain faucet. These fountain faucets are not only constructed using the highest quality material, they are also highly durable and long-lasting, and certified by IAPMO R&T with no contamination from harmful substances. IAPMO R&T is North America’s premier plumbing and mechanical product certification agency.

With its unique water fountain capability, this patented faucet design allows the user to simply rotate a fountain lever to turn off the downward flow and create a water fountain to:

  • Drink fresh water conveniently by providing a safer and cleaner replacement to glass (10), and more environmentally friendly than disposable cups
  • Easily rinse the mouth after brushing teeth
  • Rise the face after shaving or using facial cleanser
  • Wash the eyes
  • Lightly wash hair
  • Fill a water bottle or other item that traditionally won’t it under a faucet
  • Prevent excess wasting of water or messy countertops from splashing

Nasoni. Better for you, better for the planet.  

References:

  1. https://www.fastcompany.com/90636484/map-is-there-lead-in-your-drinking-water
  2. https://www.nrdc.org/resources/millions-served-water-systems-detecting-lead
  3. Payne M. Lead in drinking water. CMAJ. 2008;179(3):253-254. doi:10.1503/cmaj.071483
  4. https://www.nrdc.org/resources/whats-your-water-flint-and-beyond
  5. Tiemann M. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements. [(accessed on 25 July 2016)]. Available online: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31243.pdf.
  6. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources/water.htm#:~:text=Lead%20can%20enter%20drinking%20water,acidity%20or%20low%20mineral%20content.
  7. Arora M, Weuve J, Weisskopf MG, et al. Cumulative lead exposure and tooth loss in men: the normative aging study. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117(10):1531-1534. doi:10.1289/ehp.0900739
  8. Tort B, Choi YH, Kim EK, Jung YS, Ha M, Song KB, Lee YE. Lead exposure may affect gingival health in children. BMC Oral Health. 2018 May 4;18(1):79. doi: 10.1186/s12903-018-0547-x. PMID: 29728081; PMCID: PMC5936000.
  9. https://www.premierwatermn.com/faucet-mount-filters-do-they-work/#:~:text=The%20small%20filters%20used%20in,before%20they%20must%20be%20replaced
  10. https://vpha.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Journal/VPHA%20Spring%202020.pdf

1 Response

John Greene
John Greene

May 25, 2021

I have two Nasoni filter systems and have been extremely happy with both! We put one in our master bathroom to use with our Nasoni faucet (which we also love), and we liked it so much we decided to see if this filter system would work well in our kitchen. It’s the best filter I’ve ever used and I even use it to filter my water for brewing beer, which has definitely increased the quality. I would definitely recommend this filter!

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