Theory 058/Water & Sanitation
Lead Release Is a Solubility Edge
The claim
Lead release is set by whether the corrosion scale is on the soluble side of a stability boundary, not by lead concentration in the source water.
01The mechanism
Scale stability depends on pH and alkalinity; crossing the boundary dissolves the passivating layer and releases accumulated lead.
02Predictions
- P1Release should jump at a boundary crossing.
- P2Source lead concentration should not predict release.
03Refutation
Release tracking source concentration would remove the scale mechanism.