What are the requirements for NSF/ANSI Standard 61 and lead?
NSF/ANSI Standard 61 requires all metallic products and components to be evaluated for the leaching of lead as well as other metal contaminants. Annex G of NSF 61 contains an optional lead content verification method. Metallic pipe, fittings, valves, and other mechanical devices are all tested with two specially formulated waters. One is pH 5 and another pH 10. The pH 5 test water is especially aggressive for copper, chromium, nickel, and antimony. The pH 10 test water is especially aggressive for lead, arsenic, barium, beryllium, boron, cadmium, mercury, selenium, and thallium. Products are exposed to these test waters for 16 days where the device is filled with fresh test water each day. On the 17th day water is held in the device for 16 hours. The resulting contaminant concentrations are analyzed and mathematically normalized to reflect the concentrations expected from actual product when it is installed in the field. These normalized concentrations are then compared to the pass/fai
