Gitanjali Rao Worksheet ZL
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Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Gitanjali Rao Worksheet
Disparate Impacts of Lead Contamination in Drinking Water
Gitanjali Rao was inspired by the Flint Water Crisis to develop her Tethys Lead
Detecting Instrument.
1.
Research the Flint Water Crisis and give a summary of the issue.
Flint, Michigan suffered its first water crisis in 2014 when it switched from the
Detroit water system to the Flint River as a cost-cutting measure.
In the absence of
corrosion control, lead leached from aging pipes into the water supply when the
switch was made.
Lead and other harmful contaminants were not properly tested,
treated, or disclosed to the public.
Due to this, Flint residents, including many
children, were exposed to high levels of lead, which can result in developmental
delays, behavioral problems, and learning disabilities.
An investigation and lawsuit
are ongoing as a result of the crisis, which garnered national attention.
2.
Do you see this as a disparate impact of environmental pollution – an
environmental justice issue where people of color or low socio-economic
classes are more heavily impacted by pollution?
It is true that the Flint Water Crisis and the issue of lead contamination in drinking
water can be seen as a disparate result of environmental pollution as well as an
issue of environmental justice.
As a result of the city's inadequate treatment of
the Flint River, Flint, Michigan residents tend to be people of color and low-
income.
Developmental delays, learning difficulties, and other health problems
can be caused by lead exposure, particularly in children.
Environmental pollution
can disproportionately affect marginalized communities, as they may live in areas
with aging infrastructure, inadequate environmental regulations, and limited
resources to address these issues. The Flint Water Crisis is an example of how
marginalized communities may be disproportionately affected by environmental
pollution.
A new invention from Gitanjali Rao, the Tethys Lead Detecting
Instrument, offers an easy-to-use and cost-effective way to test drinking water for
lead content.
Innovations like this can enable communities to monitor their own
water quality and advocate for environmental changes.
3.
Why do you think controlling pollutants like lead in water is such a difficult
problem?
List some of the technological, economic, political, emotional,
and other factors involved.
Whose responsibility is it to reduce these
emissions?
A number of factors contribute to the difficulty of controlling pollutants like lead
in water, among them the following:
The process of removing lead from water
requires specialized equipment and expertise due to its technical challenges.
The
aging infrastructure, such as lead pipes, can also leach lead into the water, which
can be difficult and expensive to replace.
A high water bill may result from
solutions to control lead in water that are costly to implement.
For low-income
households that are already struggling to make ends meet, this can pose a
particularly challenging challenge.
A major factor affecting lead contamination in
water is political will and support, including funding for research and development
and infrastructure upgrades.
Progress can also be slowed down by complex
regulatory frameworks due to political factors.
In affected communities, lead
contamination can be a source of betrayal and distrust towards their local
government and institutions.
Decision-makers and community members may have
difficulty establishing trust and cooperating as a result.
In addition to public
awareness, systemic inequalities, and competing government and industry
priorities are other factors affecting the control of pollutants like lead in water.
Governments, utilities, industry, and individual citizens all have a role to play in
reducing lead and other pollutants in water.
In order to protect the environment
and public health, governments must set and enforce environmental regulations.
A water utility's responsibility is to ensure the quality and safety of the water they
provide to its customers.
Sustainable and environmentally responsible operations
are a responsibility of the industry.
Last but not least, every citizen has a
responsibility to protect themselves and their families from lead contamination in
their drinking water.
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