The technical definition of a heavy metal is a metallic element that’s dense. These elements include lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, chromium, nickel, and more.
All of these heavy metals occur naturally and get introduced into our drinking water through processes such as volcanic explosions and the erosion of rocks. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) sets national standards for drinking water quality and establishes maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for various contaminants, including heavy metals. That means that your municipal water treatment facility’s main job is to keep toxic contaminants at predetermined safe levels in your drinking water. There are two problems with that:
1) There isn’t a safe level of heavy metal exposure for humans. They’re always toxic to us and do damage to our bodies. So, we shouldn’t drink heavy metals, get them on our skin, inhale them in atomized form, or be exposed to them in any other way.
2) There have been several instances where heavy metals have exceeded safe levels in our drinking water despite the efforts of the Safe Drinking Water Act and municipal water treatment facilities.
These instances where heavy metals exceeded “safe” levels were caused by human activity such as mining, industrial production, and the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers. The production of pesticides has introduced excess amounts of heavy metals into our drinking water from the water runoff of their machinery.
1. Neurological effects: Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium can cause damage to the nervous system, leading to symptoms like memory loss, headaches, tremors, and numbness.
2. Developmental effects: Children and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to heavy metal exposure, which can affect their cognitive development and cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and developmental delays.
3. Kidney damage: Heavy metals like cadmium, mercury, and arsenic can cause damage to the kidneys, leading to kidney disease and failure.
4. Cardiovascular effects: Heavy metal exposure has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
5. Cancer: Some heavy metals, such as arsenic and cadmium, are known to be carcinogenic and can increase the risk of various types of cancer.
6. Other effects: Heavy metal exposure has also been linked to a range of other health effects, including respiratory problems, gastrointestinal issues, and reproductive problems.
What happened in Flint Michigan is a perfect example of when contaminated water meets corrupt local officials.
First, let’s talk about the Flint River. The water in the Flint River is naturally more corrosive than surrounding bodies of water like lake Huron. This means that this water has the ability to break down things that it comes in contact with. On top of that, the Flint River has factories and waste disposal sites all up and down its banks. This makes it incredibly contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic.
The trouble began when the city of Flint decided to switch its water source from lake Huron to the Flint River in 2014. The officials in charge of this decision defined it as a cost-cutting measure. In the same vein, they decided to not treat the Flint River water to make it less corrosive.
When the Flint River water hit the old lead pipes of Flint Michigan, the water corroded the pipes and unleashed lead into the water.
The people of Flint Michigan complained about the water’s color, taste, and smell almost immediately after the switch. However, those very same officials dismissed the complaints.
It took several months for an independent testing company to come in and confirm the high levels of lead and other contaminants, like bacteria and chemicals from the industrial plants, in the drinking water. That means that the poor residents of Flint Michigan drink contaminated water for months. Residents were then advised to drink bottled water and use it for cooking and bathing.
It wasn’t until 2015 that the water supply was switched back to lake Huron. But that didn’t address the problem with the old lead pipes leaching lead into the water. Would you believe that Flint Michigan still has not replaced all of those lead pipes? The tap water is still not safe to drink!
Thousands of people became sick from drinking the contaminated tap water. It wasn’t long until hundreds of lawsuits were filed which were consolidated into a class action lawsuit. This lawsuit is ongoing however in 2021 a 640 million settlement was reached between the state of Michigan and the plaintiffs.
This is an amazing story because Flint Michigan is supposed to be following the same safe water protection act limits as any other city in the United States. But in 2014 when the water was switched to the Flint River, officials either ignored those protections or cooked the books to make the water look safer than it actually was. What’s also amazing about this story is that the Flint Michigan government still hasn’t fixed the water problem. They are also actively fighting those who got sick in court and trying to minimize their losses.
To us, this is a strong lesson about how our government officials can become corrupt. Just like before, these industrial factories have lobbyists that fund the campaigns of our local leaders. So when a water crisis happens, those leaders work to minimize losses for corporations and don’t work to protect us!
You have to protect yourself and your family with a multistage water filtration system like what’s inside each of our alkaline water ionizers! Nobody else is looking out for you.
