Investigating the Mitigation of Lead Contamination and Its Consequences in Roman Pipes Using Experimental Models

Roman aqueducts were life-sustaining infrastructure systems that provided cities with potable water. This feat of ancient engineering harvested the natural flow of spring, lake, and river waters and artificially directed it towards urban centers. The major flaw of this marvel was its reliance on a dangerous metal. Once the water carried in an aqueduct reached a city, it entered into pressurized pipelines that were primarily made of lead. Modern science enumerates the multiple adverse effects of lead poisoning, including but not limited to severe nephropathy and neuropathy. However, minerals present in natural spring water, such as carbonate salts, may have provided protection from lead leaching through physical obstruction by crystallization layers. In order to investigate and quantify lead leaching, a pipe model was built using lead analyte with a calcium carbonate shell. The results of this experiment contribute to the academic discourse surrounding public health in antiquity and the fall of the Roman Empire.