Dying for A Drink: The Flint Water Crisis
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Posted By: Ladel Lewis on March 16, 2016 In April 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan, switched over from using Lake Huron as their primary water source to the Flint River. Unfortunately, the river once known as a symbol of pride has been transformed into a stream of contamination by automotive plants, sewage breaches and litterers. This switch was problematic from the start. Although technology is available to make highly polluted water drinkable, this expertise was not used, thus sending highly corrosive water to damage the pipes of the residents. Many of the citizens’ complaints about the color, taste and odor of the new water were ignored and they were advised by the governor to “relax”. Welcome to Pure Michigan. Imagine hearing your child has been lead poisoned. Being unsure of the cause you feel utterly powerless. That explains why your baby was experiencing poor school performance, abdominal pains, sluggishness, irritability, fatigue and what pediatricians coin FTT (Failure to Thrive). In layman’s terms, your little one isn’t achieving major physical/mental developmental milestones. Moreover, although they may appear to be fine now, this neurotoxin may have destroyed much needed brain cells; hence lowering your child’s IQ. But what about the ailments you’re facing and the time from work you have missed? Typically you are a healthy and energetic adult. Now, you are experiencing hair & tooth loss, irritable skin rashes respiratory distress and debilitating abdominal pains. Those are some of the irreversible effects of lead. These stories are not atypical, but the norm for many of these abandoned residents. Lung polyps, Legionnaires, and miscarriages are just a few ways the government has purposely failed the residents. What was exactly in the water? They have no clue. But what they do know is that this water used to come out the faucet a yellowish brown color and was deemed highly corrosive. It was so corrosive that it damaged the city’s infrastructure and resident’s home plumbing. Many had to purchase new hot water tanks because of the filthy sediment causing their units to burst. This corrosion also jeopardized public safety because the water chambers of brand new fire trucks were rusted as if they were dated service vehicles. Sadly, Legionnaires was also lurking in this toxic stew. According to the Center for Disease Control, Legionnaires is a bacterial infection that dwells in warm water like that found in fountains, hot tubs, and sometimes, plumbing systems. It tends to cause a raging pneumonia-like respiratory disease. Victims will experience high fevers, muscle aches and trouble breathing while people with weakened lungs or immune systems — the elderly, smokers, those who are already ill — may experience lung failure or even die. The scary reality is that it can be deadly for between 5 to 30 percent of those who contract it. According to the Detroit Free Press, approximately, 87 cases have been diagnosed (ten fatal) since June; just two months after Flint changed its water source to the Flint River. Is this just a massive case of “bad luck” or is this gross negligence on behalf of a government that’s supposed to keep the well-being of its citizens first? After public outcry from around the nation spurred by local health officials and academics at the potential expense of their careers and television personalities such as political commentator and author Rachel Maddow, state government decided to switch back to the safe water source. Unfortunately, the transition was not as smooth and safe as all had hoped. The damaged infrastructure caused the pipes to exude high lead levels. This proved to be problematic because no amount of lead is safe. In the past, anything above a 20 mcg lead count was dangerous and may have required chelation therapy (the aggressive removal of heavy metals and minerals from the body). Currently, anything above five mcg’s raises concern and warrants an investigation and elimination of lead from the child’s environment. Experts say it’s okay to bathe in lead water because the lead is usually absorbed into the body through ingestion (drinking contaminated water) rather than through the skin. However, other medical professionals have a conflicting view because lead can be ingested through inhalation of hot water vapors and can gain entry through other orifices. The citizens are confused and mistrusting because the government is not supplying clear and concise answers about what to do moving forward. According to Marilyn Corder, M.D., a children’s advocate and Chair of United Medical Center’s Neonatal Nursery, “Washington DC had the same problem with lead toxicity in children. Since time was of the essence, we addressed it right away with a rigorous lead prevention program targeting infants to six year olds.” To do so, families are physically removed from the lead exposed environment and monitored until they are beyond the risk factors for lead. Moreover, they are encouraged to incorporate a healthy diet into their daily routine because nutrition plays a major role in combating lead. Foods rich in calcium (such as yogurt, cheese and tofu), iron (raisins, low fat pork, and lean red meat) and vitamin C (oranges, strawberries, and dark green-leafy vegetables )help to prevent lead from being absorbed into the body. What about the children that are beyond nutritional help? What “lifelong” support system is in place to assist them? Many children will require behavioral and mental health services and not “jail” for their neurological shortcomings. The residents need access to life-long complete medical services to fight current and future conditions brought on from simply drinking the “safe” water. The citizens of Flint, Michigan rights were violated according to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Safe Drinking water isn’t an amenity, but a right because clean water is the foundation to life. Making a pregnant mom drink contaminated water is the equivalent of forcing her to have an abortion. “Just like young children, it’s imperative that pregnant women avoid all exposure to lead because it hinders the brain development of the fetus in addition to causing miscarriages and premature births”, posits Dr. Stephen I. Proctor, a private practice gynecologist /obstetrician. Although lead was a key ingredient in many household items of the past, it was banned in the United States 1978. Children are entitled to have a lead free environment and the authorities are inexcusably obligated to provide it. If gasoline is unleaded, then water should be lead free as well. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Ladel Lewis
Research Associate, Western Michigan University Western Michigan Univ class of 2012 Member Since October 2006 |
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