Applied science video about lead in regular tap water and poisoning - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: strawberry
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2023, 04:21:27 pm
content: why fear of poisonous stuff sometimes is irrational ?

author: Bryn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2023, 04:59:48 pm
content: For some reason, this reminds me of some April Fool's joke where a DJ exclaimed that there's lead in tap water (or something like it, my mind's fuzzy about that)...Interesting video though.

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2023, 07:56:10 pm
content: Sorry, I got about 7 minutes in and was falling asleep. Can anyone give me the Cliff's Notes version?Heck, I used to be a chemist, too!

author: newbrain
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 06:53:57 am
content: Quote from: gnuarm on July 06, 2023, 07:56:10 pmSame here, way to dilute the point. Pun shamelessly intended.

author: bw2341
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 01:23:51 pm
content: Lead bad. Is lead crystal bad?(clever use of dithizone to quantitatively measure trace amounts of lead)Lead crystal could be safe if you periodically soak in it 0.5% acetic acid.The title of this thread is misleading.

author: mendip_discovery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 01:39:32 pm
content: One of my customers made high-end bathroom taps etc and due to the Californians, there were very strict rules over lead on the metals used for the taps. Which for him was a source of immense fun. A boss who wanted a good price for materials and the suppliers who lied about the material to sell it. The number of lab tests he had to do was mental.When I lived in Cornwall, UK the water would often come through with an orange tint. Was nice to return to Somerset where everything is lined with a good amount of limescale.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 01:43:25 pm
content: Lead metal isn't that bad, it's the salts of lead that get you.

author: Bryn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 03:32:28 pm
content: According to a bit of research I did regarding lead in tap water, houses built in the UK before 1970 once had lead pipes which was the source of the issue and since then, building regulations have changed (as it's now illegal for any house built after that time to contain them).Having said that though, my house was built in pre-war times and this would have lead pipes but I've been drinking tap water from them ever since I first moved into the house itself almost 30 years ago and nothing odd or horrific happened to me since.

author: AndyBeez
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 03:50:34 pm
content: For 'pure' water, nothing beats water from peat lands in Ireland and Scotland. A bath of water is pure malt whisky. - in colour. Meanwhile in London the same bath full is 100% pure p!ss. In colour too.

author: KE5FX
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 04:05:07 pm
content: Quote from: gnuarm on July 06, 2023, 07:56:10 pmThe Cliff's Notes version is that unless you have advanced analytical equipment at your disposal, measuring lead exposure due to glassware is complicated and error-prone, and can't (or at least shouldn't) be summarized in 7 minutes or less.Ben's channel isn't really meant for the MTV Generation. Just move on to the next distraction, as Alanis suggested.

author: Bryn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 06:45:35 pm
content: Quote from: AndyBeez on July 07, 2023, 03:50:34 pmAs someone from Scotland, I can relate to that

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 08:30:08 pm
content: Some people claim it was lead water piping responsible for the decline of the Roman empire, and like any other theory about ancient history they are able to selectively dig out those pieces of evidence which support them. They often attribute later emperors' craziest decisions to lead-induced neurological damage, and say that made the empire weaker so it fell more easily in the face of Goths/Vandals.Don't know about drinking water from peaty lands, but when peatlands are dried out they make the most wonderful surface to walk on, a spring in every step.

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 08:32:44 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on July 07, 2023, 01:43:25 pmYou didn't finish that statement.... and in even slightly acidic water, metallic lead forms lead salts.That's basic chemistry.

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 08:38:57 pm
content: Quote from: Bryn on July 07, 2023, 03:32:28 pmLOL The single, most significant symptom of lead poisoning, is diminished mental capacity. It would happen very gradually, until the symptoms become obvious. This is kinda like the film built up on surfaces from a smoker's exhalation.I once bought a used pickup that was less than a year old. It had no scent at the time of sale, but in the summer, it would reek of cigarette smoke when the AC was turned on. The surfaces in the cab had been cleaned, but it took three years to finally get that smell out of the AC. The difference is, with lead poisoning, it's much, much harder to get rid of lead from your system and many of the symptoms never go away.

author: gnuarm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 08:47:18 pm
content: Quote from: KE5FX on July 07, 2023, 04:05:07 pmBen's problem is he doesn't know how to convey information effectively and efficiently. Like many Youtubers, he just starts the camera and starts talking. A presentation like his requires a lot of thought and skill in how best to present it. Noting every little detail in the data is not an effective presentation. Even in research papers, they often leave out many details, referring to the sources, and present a distilled version. A video is a presentation, like a public address. You have to keep your audience awake.Ben also does not seem to follow the general rule of presentation, "Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them what you're telling them, then tell them what you told them". This allows much better comprehension of the material by the viewer, as well as better retention. At least, I couldn't stay awake long enough to see for sure.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2023, 09:43:25 pm
content: Ben is great, his target audience is just not people who want the results straight up, we want to know all of the details behind it, and pitfalls he had. The trade off is the video is really long and some parts may be less engaging.See also: NightHawkInLight, Tech Ingredients, Breaking Taps, maybe Marco Reps.I don't think that many people own lead crystal glass, and if they do, intend to drink out of it. That is kind of a side point of the video.