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ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: April 13, 2016

What Flint鈥檚 water crisis could mean for the rest of the nation

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Journal of Chemical Education

Elevated levels of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, brought to light not only the troubles of one city but also broader concerns about the nation鈥檚 aging water distribution system. As Earth Day approaches, a noted scientist is calling for federal funding to replace deteriorating lead pipes in large swaths of the United States. In an editorial, Jerald Schnoor outlines recommendations on how to address the issue in ACS鈥� Journal of Chemical Education.

Many cities鈥� infrastructures 鈥� particularly in the eastern U.S. 鈥� were built before the dangers of lead in drinking water were widely recognized. Now scientists know that ingesting too much lead can affect children鈥檚 development and adults鈥� health. While water managers use chemical strategies at treatment plants to try to prevent lead from leaching into water supplies, Schnoor says this approach isn鈥檛 sufficient to keep drinking water safe all the way to the tap.

The Flint crisis signals bigger problems with the U.S.鈥檚 aging water-infrastructure.
Credit: Flintwaterstudy.org