Lead in Flint water is still a thing

For year’s environmentalist and regulatory bodies have focused on the impact of chemical pollutants, the role they play in the degradation of the environment and the risk associated with their secondary fates once in the environment. Little focus and priority had been aimed at the risk assessment and threat to the health and well-being of humans and animals as wells as the environment because the risk associate with them were either not suspected or recognized

Lack of anticorrosive agents in water in Flint was one of the cause of the high levels of lead in the Flint water.  If anticorrosive agents are not included in the water treatment, lead will leach from plumbing into water. Children are a high risk population for environmental exposures to lead because of the developing brain, higher absorbed dose, and different diets.  Children who are bottled fed consume approximately 80% of tap water in first few years. Tap water contribute approximately 10-20% of blood lead levels in US.   Bottled fed babies receive about 50% of lead from tap water. There was a doubling of blood lead levels in flint from 2.4% to 4.9% with change in water. 

Blood lead levels came down drastically from 1976 – 1981 with removal of lead from gasoline.  More than 80% of U.S. housing built before 1978 contains lead.  CDC level of concern for blood lead decrease from 100 µg/dL before 1978 to 5 µg/dL in 2012. The lead in soil continue to be high. In terms of Occupational exposure to lead, OSHA Lead Standard says that workers must be removed when blood lead is 50-60 µg/dL and can return to work when blood lead decreases to 40 µg/dL, however they do not address the continued exposure to lead. It’s easy to pinpoint sources of lead in individuals but the correlation in a population is more difficult.

Flint water was 19 times more corrosive than Detroit water. Flint water crisis was a perfect storm for lead leaching.  Flint water was more corrosive than Detroit water and there wasn’t any corrosion control added to the Flint water. The plumbing infrastructure is aging and have up to 80% of lead. Because of the corrosiveness of the water and lack of corrosion control, lead particulates were introduce into the water source as a vehicle of ingestion.  Also because of these particulates as you heat and boil the water, you concentrate these particulates. Lead in water was secondary to lead paint being ingested by children, however the lead in water made it a vehicle for ingestion. The water switch began in April 26, 2014 and researchers have been looking at an analyzing % elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) from pre-switch January 1, 2013 to September 15, 2013 to post-switch January 1, 2015 to September 15, 2015. Pre-switch percent EBLL was 2.4% and post-switch percent EBLL was 4.9%.  In areas with the most lead, pre-switch % EBLL was 4.0 and post-switch % EBLL was 10.6%. In ward 5 which was significantly affected pre-switch % EBLL was 4.0% and post-switch % EBLL was 15.7%.  The regulatory set EBLL levels is 5µg/dL. The percent of children with EBLL in Flint increased significantly and results underestimate exposure.  Infants are not screened for lead and there are missed peaks which widens the disparities and shed light on the failure of primary prevention. The federal government has declared a state of emergency and there is a loss of trust in government agencies. As of today (4/5/2016) the water in Flint is still not safe and shows that lead in not a problem of yesterday.

No longer use our children as lead detectors.  Paradigm shift is needed to prevent or to correct homes with lead before a child can be exposed. The biggest threat to lead exposure is from lead paint chips and dust in homes, only 20% of lead exposure is from water. Much of the lead is derived from friction surfaces such as windows and doors. Every community need a lead and healthy homes plan that bridge silos.  Perform annual lead surveillance especially in high risk communities.  Map the data report data cumulatively.  With new data you can influence policy, to have lead safe certificate bill at time of rental turnover, support on-demand inspections, create housing courts to enforce law and seek new sources of funding. Always clearly define the problem then test water in home, in schools and soils, keeping in mind that the greatest exposure is form households.  Engage educator through training, explain lead surveillance program, and adopt policies for intervention, and partner with the educators so that they can become advocates.

Growing body of evidence shows the increase risk of exposure to lead.  This necessitate a social and political conversation. Utilities and public health agencies need to take a more deliberate approach to communicating about lead to increase awareness and encourage lead service line replacement. Until the Flint crisis, the government, water utility and public has not looked at water as a source of lead poisoning. Water companies only communicate to customers about lead in the water in yearly report. Partnership between public health agencies and water systems are a critical component in moving toward awareness of lead in water.  There are challenges associated with full lead service line replacement that will require water systems, governments, public health agencies and consumers to all do their part.  Shared purpose is to protect public health.