Lead Poisoning In Flint

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A Man-Made Disaster Ever since there was first news of the switch in water sources, some Flint residents could not believe what they were hearing. “We thought is was a joke” Rhonda Kelso, a long-time resident, says “People my age and older thought, ‘They’re not going to do that.’” But that’s exactly what happened and the unforeseen consequences would be life altering. “Mom... why is the water brown?” Kelso’s daughter would ask her mother. Kelso would try to avoid the water that she believed was sewage ridden and thought that she was paying for “poison” and “toxic waste,” and perhaps she was not all that far off from the reality of it. The water’s brown tint was caused by elevated levels of iron, and acidity. These two components will later …show more content…
As a result of the damaged pipes, everyone who has come into contact with Flint’s infectious water is at some risk for lead poisoning. Flint’s current adult residents, those who run schools, businesses, provide for families, and support each other on a daily basis, are now in irreversible danger. No amount of lead in the human body is healthy, but the effects of lead poisoning can only be spotted when the lead levels have become dangerous ("Lead Poisoning."). The effects in adults include, but are not limited to: mood disorders, reduced or abnormal sperm, premature birth, and even miscarriages ("Lead Poisoning."). These are all things that could result in severe emotional damage and disruption to the lives of the teachers, entrepreneurs, and providers of Flint. Perhaps even worse than harming this generation of citizens is harming the next generation as well. Lead poisoning’s effects are more prominent in children. In children under six, the symptoms are, but not limited to: irritability, developmental delays, learning disabilities and hearing loss ("Lead Poisoning."). Jennifer Rivera, a preschool teacher in Flint, has already described seeing changes in articulation and increased irritability in her young students (The Impact of Lead Poisoning on Flint's Kids). The impermanent choice by the government to put money before safety has now had a permanent negative impact on the both adult and developing minds. "We’re still going to deal with what’s going on for the next lifetime," says Flint Journal photographer Jake May

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