1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a heavy-metal separator for water, and more particularly to an apparatus and method of removing lead contaminants from drinking water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a crucial need for a suitable means for removing lead from drinking water, particularly water that is derived from local water systems for human consumption. Water entering a house or building will pick up lead particles as it is transported through the plumbing system. This is particularly true if water is passed through copper pipe fixtures having joints and connections bonded by lead solder or if the pipes themselves consist of lead, as is the case with many older systems.
It is an established fact that too much lead in the human body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cells. There is great risk with short-term exposure to a young child or a pregnant woman. It has been further established that most of the lead in household water usually comes from the plumbing in houses, not from the local water source. Lead contamination is higher when water has not been drawn for six hours or longer, and hot water is likely to contain even higher levels of lead.
There are various types of metal-removing systems but these known systems or devices have restrictive features, are complicated to operate, and are generally not compatible as simple home-use systems for removing lead from water to be used for drinking or cooking.
As examples of the prior art, one may look to the following United States patents:
Pat. No. 4,096,064 to du Fresne discloses a system for removal of toxic heavy metals from drinking water and relates to a process and system for the removal of metal ions from water, such removal being accomplished electro-chemically by sequential water flow through reactant beds of activated zinc and magnesium/manganese alloy, respectively.
Pat. No. 4,622,102 discloses an automatically operable distillation apparatus which would not solve the above-mentioned peoblem.
Pat. No. 4,338,200 to Zeijlstra discloses a process for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous liquids which contain the metals in ionic form. In particular, the invention relates to the removal of chromium, zinc and/or lead from effluent discharge. This process also does not address the problem solved by the present apparatus herein disclosed.
It has been found that most water-purification systems use distillation methods or are chemically controlled.