Dangerous levels of lead found in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan have created a lead poisoning scare among millions of Americans. A state of emergency has already been raised in the city and more major cities might follow after several reports on problematic water testing practices surfaced.
The Guardian reports that the U.S. water authorities are intentionally downplaying the amount of lead in the drinking water and this might have a big impact on the health of millions. "The logical conclusion is that millions of people's drinking water is potentially unsafe," an anonymous source told The Guardian.
The report says that there are documents that show how water authorities in cities such as Detroit and Philadelphia and the Rhode Island state are using dubious methods in testing the lead levels in the drinking water. Their purpose for doing so is to make sure that water utilities will not violate the federal lead and copper rules and regulations.
The questionable testing methods include running taps for several minutes and removing the filter from taps in order to reduce the amount of lead in the water. These kinds of water testing are widely criticized because of the inaccuracy of the results.
"There are many ways to game the system. In Flint, they went to test neighborhoods where they knew didn't have a problem," Virginia Tech academic Dr Yanna Lambrinidou told The Guardian. "You can also flush the water to get rid of the lead. If you flush it before sampling, the problem will go away."
According to the World Health Organization, lead poisoning can cause a lot of damage to a person's health such as convulsions, comatose and even death. Lead poisoning can also bring harmful effects on the kidneys, the nervous and reproductive systems -- potentially causing anemia and hypertension, too. For children, lead poisoning can cause learning difficulties, behavioral disorders and mental retardations.
