KADMIUM OCH BLY I BRUNNS- OCH GRUNDVATTEN / Cadmium and Lead in Well and Ground Water
The concentrations of cadmium and lead in water from 280 private wells were determined. The aim of the study was to elucidate if the presence of these metals is a health problem when the water is used as drinking water. The water in many Swedish wells is very acid and is also influenced by the acid rain. This has given rise to serious concern about the risk for increasing metal concentrations in ground water.
The samples were taken from kitchen taps after 10 min flushing. The concentrations in more than 50 % of the samples were below 1 % of the current Swedish maximum acceptable concentrations for cadmium (5 ìg/l) and lead (50 ìg/l). No sample had a cadmium concentration above 1 ìg/l. The two highest lead concentrations demonstrated, however, that these and probably most of the high concentrations were due to leaching of cadmium and lead from pipes and pressure tanks. “Complete abstract not presented.”