Table 1 |.
Water quality comparison between Flint, MI; Newark, NJ; and Benton Harbor, MI
| Parameters | Flint, MI, water quality 18 April 2016–18 July 2017 from Williams et al. (2018)a (average ± standard deviation) | Newark, NJ, Pequannock system water quality 21 August 2019–22 August 2019 from Lytle et al. (2020)b,c | Benton Harbor, MI, water quality 9 November 2021–16 Dcember 2021 (n = 26)c |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum (mg/L) | 0.003 ± 0.010 | 0.04–0.05 | <0.5 |
| Calcium (mg/L) | 25.96 ± 0.81 | 11.9–12.3 | 37–43 |
| Magnesium (mg/L) | 7.6 ± 0.3 | 3.31–3.36 | 12–14 |
| Potassium (mg/L) | - | 0.5–0.6 | 1.6–1.9 |
| Sodium (mg/L) | 5.3 ± 0.3 | 23.3–24 | 13–16 |
| Zinc (µg/L) | 2.0 ± 1.0 | 28–81 | <10–86 |
| Fluoride (mg/L) | 0.8 ± 0.1 | - | 0.15–0.35 |
| Chloride (mg/L) | 10.1 ± 0.6 | 38.3–39.2 | 19–22 |
| Sulfate (mg SO4/L) | 19.8 ± 1.4 | 9.8–10.4 | 32–35 |
| Total alkalinity (mg CaCO3/L) | 73.3 ± 3.1 | 29.6–31.5 | 120 |
| Total phosphorus (mg/L) | - | - | 1–2 |
| Phosphate (mg PO4/L) | 3.6 ± 0.2 | 1.38–1.57 | - |
| pH | 7.32 ± 0.10 | 7.6 | 7.69 |
| Scale composition (type) | Amorphous upper layers, lower layer mainly Pb(II), and Pb(II) phosphates | Presence of destabilized PbO2 (Pb(IV)) in surficial layer | Amorphous upper layer, lower layer Pb(II) carbonate |
| Particle characterization | Not evaluated | Discrete Pb phosphate nanoparticles | No Pb phosphate nanoparticles |
| Secondary disinfectant | Free chlorine | Free chlorine | Free chlorine |
Note: ‘<‘ indicates values below the reporting limit for an analyte.
a
Influent pipe rig background water quality.
b
Ranges across four residential homes sampled.
c
Background water quality in fully flushed samples, collected from residential taps.