NEWSBRIEF - Coffee gets the lead out.
Many cities, particularly in the developing world, have high levels of toxic metals such as copper and lead in their water supply. Australian researchers now report that coffee made from contaminated water is essentially free of these pollutants. They found that the process of dripping hot water through the ground coffee removed up to 90 per cent of the copper and lead dissolved in the water. John Bisby, a consultant in environmental and occupational medicine in Melbourne, points out that drinking more coffee is not a practical way to combat water pollution. Says he "You can't drink all your water as coffee or you will have other side effects that are a lot worse than lead."
There's nothing like a good brew for cleaning up drinking water. New Scientist, February 12, 2000