LET’S PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
In line with environmental protection policies, VALPRA helps to safeguard the planet for future generations by choosing to manufacture non-toxic products that do not emit pollutants or toxic substances.
If heavy metals such as nickel and lead come into contact with drinking water, they can be toxic to both humans and the environment.
Lead, in particular, can contaminate drinking water if it comes into contact with the heat generated when taps are turned, and can accumulate within the human body and stay there for up to 20 years. It has been proven that children and babies are the most sensitive to lead poisoning. If lead accumulates in their central nervous systems it can cause learning difficulties and prevent calcium deposits, thus creating brittle bones.
In adults the main symptoms of lead poisoning affect the vascular system, with high risks of anaemia and high blood pressure due to reduced sensitivity in the walls of the blood vessels.
On the other hand, if nickel comes into direct contact with taps before they are chrome plated, it penetrates to where the water passes and is released.
Not much is known about the toxicity of nickel, but allergic reactions caused by direct contact with the skin or from eating foods which contain it are very common.
Some countries have managed to considerably reduce the concentrations of lead and nickel emitted by taps in their water supplies.
Currently only the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have set limits to such emissions.
The growing focus on the environment has led VALPRA to treat these restrictions as a priority, and the company has introduced and applied PWP (PURE WATER PROCESS) to its entire range of taps and accessories in order to restrict the release of heavy metals.
This treatment takes place as part of the galvanisation process, and uses a chemical system for the complete removal of the diluted lead (CLEAN LEAD) inside the taps during the turning phase and a galvanisation system that inhibits the release of nickel in contact with drinking water. At the end of this process VALPRA taps and accessories release less than 11 ppb (µg/l) of lead and 20 ppb (µg/l) of nickel into the drinking water.
All the VALPRA taps and accessories currently available in the catalogue go though the PWP & CLEAN LEAD process, to help make a better world and a better future.
