The problem of lead contamination in potable water has been a serious concern in different countries. Although the use of leaded welding solder has been banned and brass components used in potable water pipework have to be of the nominally "lead-free" grade in most jurisdictions, incidents of excessive lead leaching are still reported. The widely advocated explanation of lead leaching from brass components in terms of corrosion and the formation of electrochemical cells is inadequate since mechanical cutting is also known to cause lead segregation on brass surfaces. In this study, the effects of lead segregation on brass surfaces and subsequent leaching to contacting water resulting from thermo-mechanical processing of the brass are studied. The results indicate that mechanical milling and polishing that replicate the common processing involved in pipeline installation yield a significant increase in surface lead, and a strong correlation exists between lead leaching and the plastic deformation of the brass surface. Furthermore, flame-torch treatment that replicates the common brazing of brass also results in a significant increase in surface lead. These results indicate that the common thermo-mechanical processing of brass piping components poses a real risk of lead contamination in potable water, and revision in the common protocols for handling lead components may be necessary.

饮用水中的铅污染问题已在不同国家引起严重关注。尽管已禁止使用含铅焊接焊料，并且在大多数辖区中，饮用水管道中使用的黄铜部件必须标称是“无铅”等级，但仍有报道称铅浸出过多。关于腐蚀和电化学电池的形成，从黄铜部件中浸出铅的广泛提倡的解释是不充分的，因为还已知机械切削会导致黄铜表面上的铅偏析。在这项研究中，研究了铅在黄铜表面的偏析以及随后因黄铜的热机械加工而浸出到接触水中的影响。结果表明，机械研磨和抛光能够复制管道安装过程中的常见过程，从而显着增加表面铅，并且铅的浸出与黄铜表面的塑性变形之间存在很强的相关性。此外，复制黄铜的普通钎焊的火焰焊炬处理也导致表面铅的显着增加。这些结果表明，黄铜管道部件的常规热机械加工过程确实存在饮用水中铅污染的风险，因此可能有必要对处理铅部件的通用协议进行修订。复制黄铜的普通钎焊的火焰焊炬处理也会导致表面铅显着增加。这些结果表明，黄铜管道部件的常规热机械加工过程确实存在饮用水中铅污染的风险，因此可能有必要对处理铅部件的通用协议进行修订。复制黄铜的普通钎焊的火焰焊炬处理也会导致表面铅显着增加。这些结果表明，黄铜管道部件的常规热机械加工过程确实存在饮用水中铅污染的风险，因此可能有必要对处理铅部件的通用协议进行修订。