The FlintWaterStudy Team Undergraduate Students: Madeleine Brouse, Margaret Carolan, Sara Chergaoui, Matthew Dowdle, Kim Hughes, Rebecca Jones, Alison Vick Graduate Students: Christina Devine, Emily Garner, Catherine Grey, Pan Ji, Anurag Mantha, Rebekah Martin, Jake Metch, Victoria Nystrom, Colin Richards, William Rhoads, Siddhartha Roy, Laurel Strom, Owen Strom, Min Tang, Ni “Joyce” Zhu Post-docs/Research Scientists:Drs. Brandi Clark, Dongjuan Dai, Sheldon Masters, Jeffrey Parks, Kelsey Pieper, David “Otto” Schwake, Fei Wang Principal Investigators: Dr. Marc Edwards, Dr. Amy Pruden, Dr. Joseph Falkinham III NSF grant #1135328 Bridging the Gap Between Engineers and Society: Learning to Listen Dr. Yanna Lambrinidou and Dr. Marc Edwards
B.F. = Before FlintWaterStudy Where it all began
William Rhoads 1950s-1960s 1980s-present
The Flint Journal, from http://www.teardownbook.com/photos/ http://www.plan59.com/photos/buickcity.htm Lead No In Brass Lead Lead Solder Lead Pipe
Graphic Adapted from: http://www.clevelandwater.com/customer-service/protect-your-home/home-tips Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Responsibility
Due to Flint River water chemistry
For Lead Release Abayomi Azikiwe Regina H. Boone—Detroit Free Press/ZumaPress
Sephia8 – mlive.com Sam Owens/AP
RYAN GARZA/AP Worst case, 867X more
On average, 133X more “A major concern from a public health standpoint is the absence of corrosion control treatment in the City of Flint” The Daily Mail/AP
Christina Devine Maggie Carolan Anurag Mantha Lead, lead everywhere! We are in this together! Citizen Science et al. FlintWaterStudy Launch
• Website launched late August • Purpose: • Inform Flint residents about water quality issues • Bring public awareness
August 13, 2015
Romain Blanquart / Detroit Free Press
Getty Images
For 271 samples: 90th Percentile for First Draw: 26.8 ppb (EPA Action Level = 15 ppb) Highest First Draw: 158 ppb Highest overall: 1051 ppb
Lead Corrosion Experiment
Flint Detroit Lead Corrosion Experiment
Ms. Weiss’ class at City School, Grand Blanc, MI Flint water was always MORE corrosive than Detroit water Observations “Flint looks like a snow globe and Detroit looks like nothing barely happened” -Caroline
Drew: “…Flint water is DISGUSTING!”
Sophia: “…the Flint water looks bad and unhealthy to drink…”
Ridley: “Flint = SNOW GLOBE” Iron Corrosion Experiment
Set up: Iron Corrosion Experiment 1.4
1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4
0.2 Free Chlorine (mg/L) 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 Time (Hr.) Iron Corrosion Experiment Continued Town Hall Meeting Response from Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
“This group specializes in looking for high lead problems. They pull the rabbit out of that hat everywhere they go. Nobody should be surprised when the rabbit comes out of the hat, even if they can’t figure out how it is done” -Brad Wurfel MDEQ’s Communications Director http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20150928/NEWS01/150929872/doctors-urge-flint-to-stop-using-water-from-flint-river Public Health Emergency in Genesee County
@HealthCritics, Detroit Free Press
September 24 Timeline Recap Dr. Mona Hanna- Attisha and her team release January 16 results of their study October 16 Pres. Obama signs August 13 on elevated blood City of Flint emergency 300 Kits lead levels in switches back to declaration – sent to Flint children Detroit Water Federal aid for Flint
August 31 September 25 September 26-29 January 5, 2016 VT Results from Filter Fundraising Public health Gov. Snyder 120 kits indicate a started by United emergency declares “serious lead in Way declared in emergency in Flint water problem” Genesee County
2015 2016 Rebekah Martin Min Tang All Roads Lead To Flint The Trips We Made – For Science, For Humanity
Photo: Matt Gentry/AP 2015 Trips to the City of Flint
Trip 1. Sampling Aug. 17 – 19th
Trip 2. Public Health Advisory Sep. 14 – 16th
Trip 3. Legionella Sampling Oct. 14 – 17th
Trip 4. Sentinel Home Sampling Dec. 1 – 3rd Physical/Chemical Technology Biological Parameters Measured Used Parameters Measured Legionella pneumophila qPCR Legionella spp. Total Bacteria (16S) Mycobacterium avium ICP - MS Mycobacterium spp. Acanthamoeba polyphaga Pseudomonas aeruginosa pH Heterotrophic Bacteria Temperature BART Acid Producing Bacteria Dissolved Oxygen Probes Iron Reducing Bacteria Chlorine residual Chlorimeter Sulfate Reducing Bacteria THM’s Slime Forming Bacteria (Disinfection THMFP Denitrifying Bacteria by-products) Culture Staphylococcus Trip 1 : Sampling and Learning Sampling supplies preparation team
Filter after filtering Flint water
Claire McClinton Sampling Sites Nayyirah Shariff
LeeAnne Walters Laura Sullivan Mobile lab in Mrs. Edwards’ Melissa Mays van Dr. Jeff Parks Trip 2: Public Health measuring lead using Advisory ICP-MS
Sid Roy Speaking in Saints of God Church
City Council Meeting
Trip 3: Legionella Sampling Culturing was one method used to detect bacteria in drinking water from Flint
What tap water looked like one hour before the switch! Trip 4: Sentinel home sampling
City School primary school students doing corrosion coupon tests
Marc communicating science with students
Certificate of Appreciation from Mayor Weaver Personal Impact Emily Garner Dr. Otto Schwake Legionella in Flint’s waters An unfortunate prediction that came true Bacteria monitoring Testing for E. coli and other Fecal Indicator Bacteria fecal indicator bacteria E. Coli Total Coliforms Enterococcus spp. Opportunistic Pathogens Legionella pneumophila Mycobacterium avium Staphylococcus spp. Acanthamoeba spp. Pseudomonas aeruginosa Corrosion-causing bacteria Heterotrophic aerobic bacteria Acid-producing bacteria Iron-reducing bacteria Sulfate-reducing bacteria Slime-producing bacteria Legionella bacteria
cdc.gov Lack of corrosion control = Increased Legionella 1. More bacteria “food” in river Lack of corrosion control = Increased Legionella 1. More bacteria “food” in river 2. Iron corrosion = more iron entering buildings’ pipes
Pure Water Pure High levels of
corrosion-causing
bacteria Flint Water Flint Lack of corrosion control = Increased Legionella 1. More bacteria “food” in river 2. Iron corrosion = more iron entering buildings’ pipes 3. High iron corrosion removed chlorine disinfectant GENESEE COUNTY LEGIONNAIRES’ OUTBREAKS
Flint Water Switch OUTBREAK SEVERITY
Legionnaires' Disease
Incidence Rates
Major U.S. Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks 10.9 LOCATION DATE CASES DEATHS 8.9 WASHINGTON, DC 1965 81 14 PHILADELPHIA, PA 1976 221 34 BURLINGTON, VA 1980 85 16
CHICAGO, IL 2012 114 3 Cases per 100,000 People 100,000 per Cases BRONX, NY 2015 124 12 1.3 0.4 1.9 GENESEE COUNTY 2014/2015 87 9 NATIONAL CALIFORNIA BRONX GENESEE GENESEE SUMMER 2015 COUNTY COUNTY OUTBREAK 2014-2015 2013 GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
“We remain diligent in our efforts to proactively and appropriately address the potential for future cases” POSSIBLE LINKS TO FLINT RIVER WATER Where do we go from here? Making sense (?) of this tragedy
Siddhartha Roy
Photo: Matt Gentry/AP 100,000 residents 18 months 9000 kids 200 confirmed
Jake May/AP Agency MI Dept. of Environmental Quality Environmental Protection Agency MI Dept. of Health and Human Services Emergency Managers MI Governor City of Flint The Flint water crisis is a story of government failure, intransigence, unpreparedness, delay, inaction, and environmental injustice. City of Flint/MDEQ Cheated on Monitoring
ACTUALLY FAILED NOW PASSED!
Ongoing Congressional Hearings and State/Federal Investigations https://twitter.com/thedailyshow/status/688131499615363074 Dec 14, 2015 City – Mayor Weaver
Jan 05, 2016 State – Gov. Snyder $200+Jan 12 Nationalmillion Guard activated Jan 16, 2015 Federal – Pres. Obama
Jake May/AP Life-long: Education/Nutrition/Health Services
Interim: Meet the Lead and Copper Rule
Long term: Replacing water infrastructure
Overarching: Regain the trust of citizens you failed
Trip 5: 2016 Spring Break Sampling – Before/After Comparison of Lead + Legionella
Carolyn Kaster/AP “I KNOW IF I WAS A PARENT UP THERE [IN FLINT], I WOULD BE BESIDE MYSELF IF MY KIDS’ HEALTH COULD BE AT RISK.” - President Barack Obama A Matter of Perspective The Big Picture: Of Infrastructure and Laws makesafety sureand health public is preserved. we providetowepeople, our and together provide governmentas a to [Flint] reminderis a of why youcan'tthatshortchange services basic http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/drinking –
Pres.Obama
- water/
Closing Comments for the Technical Community • Flint was a “miracle” – It was exposed by residents, outsiders and journalists – a complete failure of government agencies!! • Are there more Flints? • Inadequate Policies (e.g. Lead and Copper Rule) – Often, NOT completely science-based. Stay apolitical, true to your science, but also understand the politics. • A Culture of Compliance – Obsession with meeting regulations and targets than protecting public health and the environment • Water Infrastructure Challenges • Science Communication and Listening to the Public before preaching • The Public as Equal Partners and our Ultimate Client
Why You and I should care
Grateful acknowledgement
• National Science Foundation, RAPID Grant #1556258 • Citizens of Flint • Michigan State Health Department // Genesee County Health • WaterYouFightingFor? (Melissa Mays and Department LeeAnne Walters) • Democracy Defense League • Hurley Medical Center (Dr. Mona Hanna- (Nayyirah Shariff, Claire McClinton, Dr. Laura Sullivan) Attisha and others) • Northeast-Midwest Institute (Elin Betanzo) • US EPA Region 5 (Miguel Del Toral) • Concerned Pastors for Social Action (Pastors Alfred Harris, Allen Overton) • ACLU of Michigan (Curt Guyette, Kate • Parents for Non-toxic Alternatives (Dr. Yanna Lambrinidou) Levy) • City of Flint (Mayor Karen Weaver, Dayne Walling, Howard Croft, • Sen. Jim Ananich, Congressman Dan Mike Glasgow) Kildee (and their extraordinary staff) • Members of the media • 1400+ donors supporting our work • Virginia Tech (staff and students)