Lead-free food a daily challenge in Flint
FLINT, US: The S is known for trends like fat- free and glutenfree diets, but residents in Flint, Michigan are struggling with a much more serious concern: how to keep food lead-free.
Formorethanayear,thedrinking water in this impoverished former manufacturing hub has been contaminated with lead, after water from the polluted Flint River caused pipes to become corroded.
Staying healthy amid the contamination has proven difficult, with simple, daily tasks like washing vegetables or rinsing a pot able to cause lead exposure.
The crisis, which was first ignored and then hushed up by government officials, is sure to be a key topic during a debate in Flint on Sunday between Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
In the contamination’s wake, many Flint residents have been diagnosed with lead poisoning and more than 8,000 children have been reported exposed to lead, a harrowing statistic since it can irreversibly harm brain development.
Replacing all the corroded pipes could take years and residents are unsure when they can expect their water to be safe again.
Authorities are distributing vast quantities of bottled water, an operation that involves National Guard soldiers and hundreds of volunteers. They have also given away 108,000 water fi lters.
Most residents say they don’t trust the filters, after being burned by authorities who had falsely assured the public that the drinking water was safe until the contamination was exposed by citizen activists. — AFP