Picchi, a manufacturer of transfer machines and machining centers, nowadays has to deal with important issues regarding the machining of lead-free brass.
American regulations vs. European regulations
In January 2010, California, with the "Assembly Bill 1953," was the first state in the U.S. to restrict the use of lead in metal materials in contact with water for human consumption.
In Europe, however, regulations lag behind Canada and the United States, although some countries such as Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Denmark have issued regulations through the UBA ("German Environment Agency") that, from 2003 to 2013, set the lead limit at 0.0025%, a full two times the amount recommended by the WHO. Only after 2013 was the limit lowered to 0.01 mg/l, as suggested by WHO itself.
The absence of a common standard
Increasingly stringent rules about lead-free drinking water therefore oblige EU member states to regulate the characteristics of materials that come in contact with it.
Despite this, to date there is still no common legislation. That is why some states are working to achieve an alignment of standards.
The characteristics of materials in contact with drinking water
Materials used in the construction or maintenance of facilities for the catchment, treatment or distribution of drinking water and in contact with drinking water may not:
a) directly or indirectly compromise the protection of human health provided by the TrinkwV directive;
b) adversely affect the odor or taste of water; or
c) release substances into drinking water in amounts greater than those unavoidable if the rules of generally accepted technology according to Section 17(2)(1) of the TrinkwV directive are followed.
The characteristics of materials in contact with drinking water
The evaluation criteria apply to metal base materials and metal coatings with general hygienic suitability for contact with drinking water, used in the construction or maintenance of facilities for the catchment, treatment or distribution of drinking water, if they are intended for direct contact with drinking water.
The requirements for metallic materials
Products used for the construction or maintenance of facilities for the catchment, treatment or distribution of drinking water may be manufactured only from metallic materials that comply with the Positive List of Metallic Materials Hygienically Suitable for Contact with Drinking Water.
What’s next?
The German Environment Agency (UBA) in January 2023, issued new standards, under discussion for extension to the European level, for the regulation of metallic materials in contact with drinking water.
This standard is now adhered to by five countries: Germany, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, working on a proposal that is contained in the January 11, 2023 document that you can learn more about by clicking here.