Table 1.
Chemical Analysis of the Background Water for the Four Newark, NJ Homes Sampled by EPA That Previously Had Reported Elevated Lead Levels in POU- or Pitcher-Filtered Water
| analyte (mg/L unless noted) | reporting limit | house 1 | house 2 | house 3 | house 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aluminum | 0.004 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| calcium | 0.01 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.3 | 12.0 |
| chloride | 5.0 | 39.2 | 38.8 | 38.7 | 38.3 |
| iron | 0.001 | 0.012 | 0.028 | 0.015 | 0.036 |
| potassium | 0.30 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| magnesium | 0.005 | 3.35 | 3.35 | 3.36 | 3.31 |
| manganese | 0.001 | 0.036 | 0.016 | 0.029 | 0.016 |
| sodium | 0.03 | 23.7 | 23.8 | 24.0 | 23.3 |
| lead (μg/L) | 0.001 | 0.052 | 0.013 | 0.038 | 0.004 |
| phosphate (as PO4) | 0.025 | 1.57 | 1.38 | 1.50 | 1.44 |
| silicon | 0.02 | 3.26 | 3.38 | 3.46 | 3.29 |
| sulfate (as SO4) | 0.003 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| alkalinity (as CaCO3) | 1.0 | 29.6 | 30.4 | 30.3 | 31.5 |
| zinc | 0.0005 | 0.081 | 0.028 | 0.049 | 0.033 |
| TIC (as C) | 7.05 | 7.35 | 7.21 | 7.35 | |
| pHa (units) | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 |
a
pH estimated from distribution system water samples taken the same day.