Originally published on 16 December, 2015
Officials in Flint, Michigan declared a state of emergency Monday night after a large number of residents began suffering from severe lead poisoning.
Flint changed its water source from the Detroit system, which draws water from Lake Huron, to the Flint River in April 2014 as a cost-saving option. Reports found that Flint River’s water is more corrosive than Lake Huron’s, and caused high levels of lead to leach out of the city’s aging pipes into the water supply.
A recent study released by Flint’s Hurley Medical Center shows that the number of infants and children in the community with elevated lead in their bloodstreams doubled between 2013 and 2015. Flint restored its connection to the Detroit water supply in mid-October this year.
Soon after the switch in water supply, residents began complaining about the yellow, murky, foul-smelling water coming out of their taps, the Washington Post reported. Some reported experiencing hair loss and rashes. However, Flint officials assured everyone that the water was perfectly safe. After it was revealed that the water was indeed contaminated, officials suggested that residents begin boiling their water and handed out water filters for the public to use.
According to Reuters, Flint residents filed a federal lawsuit against the city last month. In the suit, residents are accusing officials of endangering their health and “deliberately” depriving people from safe drinking water.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Animation Studio’s News Direct service provides daily, high-quality, informative 3D news animations that fill in for missing footage and help viewers understand breaking news stories or in-depth features on science, technology, and health.
Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's news animations at [ Ссылка ]
To subscribe to News Direct or for more info, please visit:
[ Ссылка ]
