Tips if drinking water may be contaminated with lead
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Tips if drinking water may be contaminated with lead
If you suspect that your drinking water is contaminated with lead, ask experts from your local or state health department to test the water in your home.
- Don't cook with, drink, or make baby formula with water from the hot water tap. Hot water pulls more lead out of pipes than cold water does. (It's okay to bathe or shower in hot water because lead generally is not absorbed through the skin.)
- Let cold water run for a few minutes in the morning before using it for drinking or cooking.
- Don't boil cold water for longer than 5 minutes when making baby formula. Boiling away water increases the concentration of lead.
- Buy and use a water filter certified to remove lead.
Credits
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology |
| Last Updated | June 26, 2008 |
| Last updated: | June 26, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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