Are brass kitchen taps safe?

Brass is an alloy (a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements) of mainly copper and zinc and like steel and other metal alloys has several types each with their own use and properties. Since brass contains copper it is inherently antimicrobial. A common and often highlighted advantage of brass is its resistance to corrosion and hence ideal for water environments. To enhance its durability a small but significant amount of arsenic is added to the copper and zinc. This produces dezincification resistant brass that prevents the zinc from leaching and reducing the structural integrity of the brass. This grade of brass is meant for industrial applications such as oil and gas power generation or ship building. 

Brass often contains a range of toxic metals including lead and arsenic!

The use of arsenic is reserved for specialist applications and unlikely to be present in a brass kitchen tap. Most brass blends do however contain another very toxic metal, lead. The addition of lead into brass makes it easy to machine and shape, which is ideal for cost effective manufacturing of brass taps and fittings. However, depending on the type of brass the lead content can be as high as 8%. This can result in a significant amount of lead leaching into drinking water from brass plumbing and represents a potential risk. 

There have been many studies looking at the release of lead and nickel from brass into drinking water. In studies in the US and Australia water was found to have levels more than ten times the safe limit. In one study the lead contamination came from new taps (less than a year old) that had brass fittings in contact with the water. This is as high as contamination found from lead pipes. Complex nature of water chemistry means that brass can leach metals at much higher rates than a pure elemental metal. Although there are strict regulations on what can be used for drinking water plumbing components that have high lead content are available to consumers. Rules are now in place for brass that can be used for potable water and require “lead-free” brass to be used. This is a slight misnomer since the brass still contains lead at 1.5% or below. The term lead free relates to the amount of lead leaching into drinking water being below 0.01 mg/L, which is the current limit in the UK. As other sources of lead and toxic metals are removed brass now becomes a significant source of contamination. 

 Even low levels of lead can impact on child development and health

 Lead exposure is a serious health risk and there has been a concerted effort by governments to reduce its use in industrial and domestic settings. A lead concentration in drinking water of 0.01 mg/L or 10 parts per billion might seem a very low level but the WHO states there is no safe level of lead. Regular consumption of water with level of contamination is associated with a range of negative health impacts. These include cardiovascular disease, an increase risk of heart attack, decreased kidney function, reproductive problems. Even low levels of lead can have significant impact on the development of children effecting behaviour, IQ, growth and hearing. 

New build homes with no lead pipes can still have high levels of lead in the drinking water due to brass fittings.

There has been a focus in the UK on reducing lead exposure from drinking water associated with lead pipes. Before the 1980s lead piping was used extensively across the UK to plumb buildings and for the service pipes delivering water. Brass tapware has been overlooked and the connection with lead contamination often not realised. Regulations have progressively tightened with the safe level for lead in drinking water lowering from 25 ug/L to 10 ug/L in 2013 and industry moving steadily towards plastic piping for drinking water plumbing. There are still an estimated 8 million homes in the UK with lead pipes, which are steadily being replaced. The use of brass taps and fittings has instead steadily grown in popularity but may represent a hidden potential risk.

How can you check if your brass fittings are leaching toxic metals?

It is possible to directly analyse the material the tap is made from. However, the equipment used to do this is very expensive and requires a specialist analytical scientist to operate. The cheapest and easiest way to check if your plumbing fixtures are leaching toxic metals into your water is to test the water. Although the water company will test water supply that is delivered to your house, their responsibility ends at the boundary of your property. The fixtures and fittings within your home are your responsibility. A water test kit that collects water and sends to a specialist laboratory will provide peace of mind. 

Brass plumbing is used extensively for hot water and bathroom taps and since this water is not used or intended for consumption quite safe. Are brass kitchen taps safe?  Given that virtually all brass has some lead that will leach into drinking water it would be safer to use stainless steel if you want that industrial look.