4 ms·

Here in Germany I tested twice. Once, I took one of several online providers who send you a test kit - I think it was some 20 Euros or something similar - and y

Here in Germany I tested twice. Once, I took one of several online providers who send you a test kit - I think it was some 20 Euros or something similar - and you follow the procedure they give you and send the test kit back. You get an email and a website with the result after a few days. This is just for your own information, you cannot use such results in court, for example. Another time I asked my local city water lab. They had no procedure for some random guy from the public, since those other companies exist and already make it convenient, but they still did not even try to send me away and the big lab boss himself handled my case, explaining the procedure and all, and taking the water samples back from me. Price was similarly little. By the way, that second time I tested a very commonly sold entry-level Italian portafilter machine, a Rancilio Silvia with a brass boiler that even today contains lead. Following the sampling procedure I had agreed upon with the lab boss as the correct one the lead values I got back significantly exceeded the limits. And about those limits, the medical limit is zero. That the official limit is higher is because our society is unable to get us to that desirable level. . By the way, a good chelator for lead is DMSA, which is produced very cheaply in China. Russians produce "Unithiol" (DMPS) which is best against mercury, and somewhat good against lead (and a lot of other stuff). I actually got Russian Unithiol even though DMPS also is produced here in Germany as "Dimaval". I never used EDTA derivatives for chelation, but I have many years of.. experience with DMSA and DMPS. See somewhere in my comment history. That is why I took lead a bit more seriously and why I tested my portafilter machines. I now have an Ascaso Steel Uno PID whhere the manufacturer took great care to eliminate anything that could be problematic in all components - plus, it's a really good portafilter machine :)

Terry_Roll 4y ago
> This is just for your own information, you cannot use such results in court, for example. Whats the point of that then? If its accuracy is not good enough for court, have you just bought an experience? I always used to get a sore throat from being a passenger on long vehicle journeys when leaded petrol was around and I was informed some years later Pectin is good for pollutants like lead. Never heard or seen any studies that back up this claim though, but I still bought a few bottles and necked them to see what sort of effect they had. I think N Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) may be useful for moving metals around the body.
- markdown 4y ago
  > If its accuracy is not good enough for court, have you just bought an experience? What's court got to do with any of this? You do a lab test to find out if your water is contaminated, and then you take steps to resolve that. Either change the piping, or put in a filter.
  - kodah 4y ago
    I can imagine that many landlords would not be happy to hear they have to replace all of the pipes in a house. I'm also suspecting, given the current situation in the world with regard to housing that a lot of people on this forum rent.
- lozenge 4y ago
  It's not the accuracy the court is concerned with, it's the chain of custody. They are worried you would deliberately contaminate the samples to get somebody else to pay for improvements to the plumbing that aren't necessary.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago
  > If its accuracy is not good enough for court The minimum threshold for accuracy in court is zero. Courts don't make admissibility decisions based on the quality of the evidence; they make the decision on other, more inscrutable criteria.

Terry_Roll 4y ago

> This is just for your own information, you cannot use such results in court, for example. Whats the point of that then? If its accuracy is not good enough for court, have you just bought an experience? I always used to get a sore throat from being a passenger on long vehicle journeys when leaded petrol was around and I was informed some years later Pectin is good for pollutants like lead. Never heard or seen any studies that back up this claim though, but I still bought a few bottles and necked them to see what sort of effect they had. I think N Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) may be useful for moving metals around the body.

markdown 4y ago
> If its accuracy is not good enough for court, have you just bought an experience? What's court got to do with any of this? You do a lab test to find out if your water is contaminated, and then you take steps to resolve that. Either change the piping, or put in a filter.
- kodah 4y ago
  I can imagine that many landlords would not be happy to hear they have to replace all of the pipes in a house. I'm also suspecting, given the current situation in the world with regard to housing that a lot of people on this forum rent.
lozenge 4y ago
It's not the accuracy the court is concerned with, it's the chain of custody. They are worried you would deliberately contaminate the samples to get somebody else to pay for improvements to the plumbing that aren't necessary.
thaumasiotes 4y ago
> If its accuracy is not good enough for court The minimum threshold for accuracy in court is zero. Courts don't make admissibility decisions based on the quality of the evidence; they make the decision on other, more inscrutable criteria.