Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians drink lead-contaminated water

According to the freshly published results of the National Public Health Centre’s project that assessed the lead content of drinking water, there is a significant health risk due to the lead content of tap water, which mainly affects the Hungarian capital and cities with more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Within the framework of the program, residents and institutions across the country had the opportunity to test the lead content of tap water free of charge.

14% of the samples exceeded the limit value, and the highest lead content was found in the capital.

Accordingly, more than 600,000 inhabitants in Budapest and another 130,000 people nationwide can drink lead-contaminated water, especially in larger cities.

The study proved to be important as lead is a heavy metal that primarily endangers the health of fetuses, infants and young children. According to the results, the most significant heavy metal pollution was experienced in the internal districts, especially in those areas where the buildings were constructed before 1945.

As a heavy metal, lead carries numerous health risks. The main problem is that it accumulates over time, and lead can be harmful even at a relatively low level in the blood, most notably in the case of kidneys and brain.

Therefore, health risks in the areas mentioned above are very high.

As the Hungarian news portal Index reports, it may be timely to develop a comprehensive national action plan, including a total pipe replacement in about 50,000 buildings in the capital, and about 32,000 houses in large rural cities.

Related articles:

• Poisonous water from the tap? This is why Hungarians do not drink enough water
• In Budapest the tap water is healthy and safe to consume

Photo: Daily News Hungary

Source: index.hu