Flint's Poisoned Water

When a water source is not treated right it can cause supply pipes to sustained major corrosion and lead leaching into the water. This can cause bacteria and other particulate to grow freely into the water causing hair loss, rashes, E. coli and lead poisoning. Other influencing factor are High blood lead levels that are especially harmful to children and pregnant women, and can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems and mental retardation. In the documentary “Poisoned Water” the cause for the water problem in Flint, Michigan, began when Flint switched from it’s current water provider the Detroit Water Department to build it own pipeline connected to the Flint River. After the water switch in Flint, Michigan, many of it residents …show more content…
Dr.Kim Cecil an investigator for the Cincinnati lead study stated that “ lead trick the body into thinking it’s calcium. Whenever lead enter the body, primarily to ingestion, it goes and hides where calcium should be, in the bones and in the cell of the brain.” When lead get into the bone and brain, it stop the flow of calcium. “without the flow of calcium the synapse in the brain get weaker and the brain function suffer”( Morton). Lead disrupt brain growth and can lead to shrinkage or volume loss of brain tissue. Most of the brain volume loss happen in the frontal lobe, it is the region of the brain that make us the most human, it control our decision making, the ability to pay attention, plan, make jugement. The frontal lobe is responsible for all the thing we in life to be successful. Lead can be dangerous wherever it in up in the body especially for a pregnant woman. The lead is stored in bones and when the woman body need calcium for the fetus, it pulling out lead out the bones instead of …show more content…
A lot happen after a water leaves the treatment plant. Most of the service line are made of lead including the one’s in flint. The reason many people are not lead poisoned despite the fact that most of the pipe use to travel the water are made of lead. The reason lies in the complex chemical reactions that goes on between the pipes and the water that flow through it. “ inside the pipes, as the water goes through it, it react. The chemical reactions take place with the plumbing materials and this build up some kind of a protective coating, what they called a scale.this protective scale is very crucial, it become a barrier that prevents lead from leaching into the water”(Schock). this protective scale can make up of ninety percent lead it’s using lead to protect people from lead against lead. This method prevent erosion from happening. Water utility add a chemical that help build the scale and to protect the water. This method is so important that EPA lead and copper rules require that city with over fifty thousand people to have corrosion treatment in place. However Flint water plant did not have any of corrosion treatment put in place when they switch to a new water supply. With no corrosion in place the flint water corrodes and rust much faster and the water became more rusty because of the rust. The corrosive water rusted Flint main pipes and also attack the protective scale and lead line leading to individual homes. When the