A July 2015 article in The Atlantic reported that the U.S. received a grade “D” in the drinking water category of the American Society for Civil Engineers’ Report Card for America’s Infrastructure released in 2013. The Atlantic wrote:
The report found that most of the nation’s drinking-water infrastructure is “nearing the end of its useful life.” Replacing the nation’s pipes would cost more than $1 trillion. The country’s wastewater infrastructure also got a “D” grade.
If pipes and drinking-water infrastructures aren’t upgraded, other cities across the country could become the new Flint, a scary fate particularly for children, the highest risk group.
“A child with lead poisoning presents with nothing. They are completely asymptomatic,” said Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of the pediatric residency program at Hurley Children’s Hospital at Michigan State University and the doctor who released the blood-test results in early October. “But in five years there’s an increased likelihood that the kid’s going to need special-education services. In 10 years, there’s an increased likelihood that the kid’s going to have ADHD, mental health issues, and behavior issues. And in 20 years, it’s going to be a problem with the criminal justice system.”
The Silent Dangers of Lead Poisoning
Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal and is often used in industries such as mining and manufacturing. There is no “safe” amount of lead exposure, as over time it accumulates in the brain, bones, kidney and liver. Because signs and symptoms typically don’t appear until dangerous amounts have accumulated, lead poisoning can be hard to detect at first.
Lead poisoning symptoms in children may look like:
- Developmental delay
- Learning difficulties
- Irritability
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Sluggishness and fatigue
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Hearing loss
Symptoms in newborns exposed to lead in the womb:
- Learning difficulties
- Slowed growth
Lead poisoning symptoms in adults may present as:
- High blood pressure
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Joint pains
- Muscle pain
- Declines in mental functioning
- Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
- Headache
- Memory loss
- Mood disorders
- Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm
- Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women