If you choose the wrong tap, you will drink poisonous water every day. How to choose? Remember these points

Reviewer of this article: Li Xueyang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The faucet can be said to be one of the most frequently used kitchen and bathroom equipment in every family. Whether its quality is qualified and its design is reasonable will have a long-term impact on the health and quality of life of the whole family.

CCTV once broadcast a program that tested overnight water from 10 households. The results showed that the metal pollutant - lead precipitation in the water samples of 3 households exceeded the standard!

If you don't choose the right faucet, does that mean you are drinking poisonous water every day? Which faucets are poisonous (lead leaching exceeds the standard)? What are the considerations for choosing a faucet? You will find out by reading the following.

Long-term drinking of tap water with excessive heavy metals is harmful to health

Normally, tap water is weakly acidic. If it stays in the faucet for a long time, it will easily cause metal pollutants in the faucet to precipitate and dissolve into the water, causing water pollution.

Studies have shown that long-term use or drinking of tap water with excessive metal content, especially heavy metal content, is very likely to cause harm to human health.

From the perspective of lead, if the lead exceeds the national standard limit, it is easy to cause damage to the brain and nervous system. The longer the lead-containing tap water is consumed for a long time, the greater the harm to the human body.

Therefore, my country's testing standards for faucet materials stipulate that parts of the product that come into contact with water should not be made of easily corrosive materials such as zinc alloys, should not cause harm to human health, and should not cause any changes in the water quality, appearance, taste, smell, etc. of drinking water.

How to choose a healthy, safe and practical faucet?

When choosing a faucet, you must first choose the right material. Currently, the most common faucet materials on the market are copper alloy, stainless steel and other types.

Copper alloy faucet

Features: No rust, durable, anti-oxidant and has a bactericidal effect on water.

Disadvantages: Contains lead! It is best to choose a regular brand when purchasing to ensure that the lead content does not exceed the health standard of 5ug/L.

Stainless steel faucet

Features: high hardness, strong toughness, no rust, no lead, the faucet itself will not cause secondary pollution to the water source.

Disadvantages: It is difficult to manufacture and process, so the price is more expensive than faucets made of other materials.

Suggestion: From the perspective of safety and health, it is best to buy a regular brand of stainless steel faucet. You can ask the merchant for a product certification issued by the national quality inspection department.

There are some tips for using the faucet in the morning

When using the faucet every morning, it is best not to use the "overnight water" that is stagnant in it. You can open the faucet and let it run for a while, and then use the water to flush the toilet, mop the floor, etc.

The connecting hose of the faucet is also prone to exceeding the standard

Professional inspectors remind that the faucet's connecting hose is also very important and you must pay attention to it when purchasing.

Liao Ronghua (the main drafter of the national standard "Ceramic Sealed Faucets") reminds: Faucet hoses are made of different materials, some are very strong, and some are easy to tear. The ones that are easy to tear may be made of secondary materials, which are prone to excessive organic matter. When purchasing, pick it up and smell it. If the smell is too strong, it may not be of good quality, so it is best not to buy it.

Source: Science Popularization China WeChat Official Account

Author: Hou Jie, Director of the Sanitary Ware Inspection Department of the National Water-Saving Appliance Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center