Health safety of main water pipe materials supplied in China market.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the health safety of copper, steel and plastic water pipes by field water quality investigations.


METHODS
Four consumers were randomly selected for each type of water pipes. Two consumers of every type of the water pipes had used the water pipes for more than 1 year and the other 2 consumers had used the water pipes for less than 3 months. The terminal volume of tap water in copper and steel water pipes should be not less than 0.1 liter, whereas that in plastic water pipes should be not less than 1 liter.


RESULTS
The mean values of the experimental results in the second field water quality investigation of the copper and steel water pipes met the Sanitary Standards for Drinking Water Quality. The items of water sample of the plastic water pipes met the requirements of the Sanitary Standards for Drinking Water Quality.


CONCLUSIONS
Copper, steel, and plastic pipes can be used as drinking water pipes.
Lu
Kai
K
College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China.
Ding
Liang
L
Wang
Hong-Wei
HW
Jing
Hai-Ning
HN
Zhao
Xiao-Ning
XN
Lin
Shao-Bin
SB
Li
Ya-Dong
YD
Jin
Yin-Long
YL
Liu
Feng-Mao
FM
Jiang
Shu-Ren
SR
D002681:China; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008420:Manufactured Materials / Q000592:standards; D008422:Materials Testing; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*; D011634:Public Health; D011786:Quality Control; D013232:Steel / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards
D010969:Plastics; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014867:Water; D013232:Steel; D003300:Copper