• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Help needed: Shotyk’s SWAMP lab working on Flint, Michigan lead problem

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In AWARE News Network
Oct 13th, 2016
2 Comments
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Professor William Shotyk

from Bill Shotyk AWARE News Network

In the SWAMP lab at the University of Alberta, we can not only measure lead (Pb) at the extremely low levels found naturally in water, but at the same time, determine the chemical forms of Pb.

We are probably the only lab in North America capable of this kind of measurement.

The knowledge we can provide about water is vital for Pb removal technologies to be successful.

Given our expertise, we have been invited to help with the Pb problem in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan. With our ability to measure Pb species in the dissolved fraction, the SWAMP lab is in a strong position to help. I am off to Flint next week to collect our first set of water samples.

Fund-raising has begun to cover the cost of analyzing the water samples in the SWAMP lab. Here’s the gofundme link. Please share widely and help us get the word out about this effort! 

For our work on the Athabasca River, and for our work on the drinking water of Flint, Michigan, our “reference” water is the same: from the Elmvale Groundwater Observatory.

Background: swamp-helps-flint

William Shotyk
Bocock Chair for Agriculture and the Environment
Department of Renewable Resources
University of Alberta

2 Responses to “Help needed: Shotyk’s SWAMP lab working on Flint, Michigan lead problem”

  1. shawn wilson says:

    shouldn’t the city of Flint or the state of Michigan be footing the bill?
    “we(the lab) have been invited to help with the Pb problem in the drinking water of Flint,”
    invited by who?

    • Anne Ritchie Nahuis says:

      I guess Dr. Shotyks statement “We are probably the only lab in North America capable of this kind of measurement.” is the reason he is being invited.
      Happy to contribute!
      Flint deserves better that’s for sure. An independent person doing analysis is I am sure a welcome breath of fresh air. Discussions like these at our universities pretty important too.

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