Water contamination: blood tests to help determine lead exposure

The blood tests will help officials determine whether residents of Waikouaiti and Karitane may be chronically affected by lead exposure, a public meeting was reported.

Hundreds of people packed the hall at the East Otago Events Center in Waikouait tonight to discuss the state of the water affecting some 1,500 residents in townships north of Dunedin, amid mounting anger over multiple mistakes.

There was only room to stand in the place and people lined the walls at the meeting called by Southern Public Health.

Residents have been warned not to drink tap water since Tuesday after lead was detected in the Waikouaiti raw water reservoir.

Many tests have shown lead levels above acceptable levels, including a result nearly 40 times above acceptable levels in December and a recent result from the Waikouaiti deposit that prompted authorities to issue a no-drink advisory in early December. this week.

There have been mistakes, including an email to Dunedin City Council that remained unopened for weeks, the council publicly underestimated a top leadership reading, and council executive director Sandy Graham was not aware until this week.

Southern District Health Board Medical Director Dr. Susan Jack, University of Otago Medical Toxicologist, and National Poisons Center Director Dr. Adam Pomerleau were at the meeting to discuss the Health Impacts of Lead Exposure, What You Know About Possible Exposure So Far, and Information About Lead. level blood testing clinics for Waikouaiti and Karitane next week.

The tests that will take place starting next week will be free, Dr. Jack told those gathered tonight.

Also in attendance were Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins, Graham, Cr Jim O’Malley (DCC Infrastructure Services Committee Chair) and General Manager of Infrastructure Services Simon Drew.

Last night, the council admitted that a lead reading from a sample taken in December was almost 40 times the acceptable limit. Council staff had initially said the reading was roughly four times the limit.

Authorities did not understand that the lead limit had been so exceeded until this week, Dr. Jack said. But officials have so far upheld their claim that intermittent elevated lead levels recorded since August – six exceeded the limit – did not warrant a warning advising against drinking water until Tuesday.

COUNCIL COMMITTED TO SUPPORT: MAYOR

Waikouaiti Coast Community Board Chairman Alasdair Morrison said he wanted the meeting to focus on the present and the future, rather than the mistakes of the past.

Hawkins said the city was committed to supporting the community and focused on getting to the bottom of the problem.

“I appreciate that this is a harrowing time,” he said.

Cr O’Malley, a scientist, said the council had taken samples since July last year to assess the integrity of the pipes and possible corrosion.

An elevated level of lead was immediately apparent at one site.

Cr O’Malley said a high reading of a sample from Dec. 8, a result sent to the council on Dec. 18, but not noticed until Jan. 7, when a staff member returned from leave, was followed of results that were not a concern.

“What we think we’re seeing is what could best be described as a pulse,” he said.

It seemed like the water was fine most of the time, he said.

But the results were unpredictable and therefore it was not considered safe to allow the water to continue drinking.

The council has increased the sampling rate.

Cities across the country did not test for heavy metals frequently, Cr O’Malley said.

Dr. Jack said it was unclear from intermittent spikes in lead readings whether there could have been a significant exposure.

Babies, children, and pregnant women were at higher risk for the effects of lead exposure, Dr. Jack said.

“Obviously, any lead intake is not good.”

ESR has concluded that the risk of lead exposure through Waikouaiti’s drinking water system is likely to be low.

It was not yet known whether there had been long-term exposure, Dr. Jack said.

“Our concern for children is long-term development.”

Blood tests for lead levels would shape an understanding of whether there has been long-term exposure.

Symptoms in adults with elevated lead levels can include tiredness, mood swings, memory impairment, insomnia, irritability, headaches, and joint pain.

Gastrointestinal symptoms can include poor appetite, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomach aches, and weight loss.

Young children may not show obvious illness, but exposure to lead over time can affect their development.

Lead in mothers can be transmitted to unborn babies and babies through breast milk.

LAST TEST EXTREMELY LOW OR UNLEADED SAMPLE: DCC

Late this afternoon, the council said the latest water tests in Waikouaiti and Karitane contained extremely low or undetectable levels of lead.

Recent spikes in lead levels are unlikely to have created an acute toxicity risk, but it wasn’t impossible, particularly for young children, Dr. Jack said.

Graham said today that results for samples taken at six sites – three at the treatment plant and three elsewhere on the network – on Monday came in late yesterday.

Three results taken from Waikouaiti TAB on Main Street (not detectable), Golf Club (0.0044 mg / L) and Karitane Pétanque Club (0.0008 mg / L) were well below the acceptable limit of 0 0.01 mg / L, while three results from the treatment plant were below detectable levels.

Graham said the latest samples were in addition to 90 taken in recent months, which together returned six results above acceptable limits and many more below.

“These intermittent elevated levels clearly remain a cause for concern, especially for residents of Waikouaiti and Karitane, and we are doing everything we can to get to the bottom of this issue.

“But these results underscore the fact that we are dealing with occasional and fluctuating spikes, not prolonged exposure to high levels of lead in water.”

Graham also said that she agreed with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s comment today that the situation faced by residents in both communities is unacceptable.

Graham said that was exactly why the council issued the ‘no drinking’ advisory earlier this week and why council staff were working hard to find the source of the contamination and fix the problem.

This included going on a daily testing regimen, to more accurately identify any future spikes should they occur. Meanwhile, excavation and condition testing of some sections of old cast iron water pipes had already started in Waikouaiti.

While the source of the contamination has yet to be confirmed, lead is attached to older pipes, environmental contamination in the broader catchment, or even sampling errors were all possible causes of the spikes.

As a result, where lead gaskets were used in older pipes serving affected communities, the council planned to replace these sections in the near future to remove that potential source of contamination from the network.

Until now, further testing had not produced any evidence of sustained elevated levels, beyond the spikes already reported, but efforts to trace the source and resolve the problem would continue.

“It was our increased testing that identified this problem, and our staff is working very hard to identify the source of the contamination and ensure that our entire community has access to clean and safe drinking water.”

Test dates announced

Public Health South has announced when residents will be offered free blood tests at a number of clinics next week. The tests are expected to help officials determine whether communities have experienced chronic exposure to lead.

Clinics will be held at the East Otago Events Center, Waikouaiti, February 9-12 at the following times:

• Tuesday February 9: 2-5pm. Children will be prioritized
• Wednesday, February 10: 9 am – 12 pm – Children will be given priority. 12 p. M. – 4 p. M.
• Thursday, February 11: from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Friday, February 12: from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The test would be available to permanent residents of Waikouaiti and Karitane and is free.

Residents unable to attend a clinic during clinic hours can request a test through their GP and it will also be free.

Parents were asked to take the children to the first two clinics, where phlebotomists (blood analyzers) who specialize in working with children would be available.

Those being screened will also be asked to complete a questionnaire, detailing other activities such as working with lead-based paint, hunting, or lighting with lead, which could mean they have had increased exposure to lead.

“By not drinking the water, we no longer believe there is an acute risk to residents. Our focus now is on seeing if there have been any long-term chronic exposures to lead.

“This will help us understand if there are concerns with the wider water supply, or if spikes in readings have been a local problem,” said Dr. Jack.

Chronic lead exposure in adults can cause symptoms such as tiredness, memory and sleep problems, headaches, joint pain, as well as nausea, diarrhea or constipation, stomach aches, and weight loss.

Lead toxicity can cause anemia, kidney problems, neurological problems, higher blood pressure, and can have effects on reproductive functions.

Children and infants may not show any symptoms of low-level exposure, but long-term exposure to lead could still be detrimental to their development.

Dr. Jack said that many of these symptoms are very general and could be attributed to a variety of conditions.

“If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should not conclude that this is due to lead exposure. However, we need to understand whether there has been ongoing exposure to the community, and blood lead level testing will help us determine this.”

– Additional reporting ODT online