How Risky Was Flint’s Water?

July 24, 2018

Ever since the water in Flint, Michigan, was found in 2014 to be contaminated with lead, a range of people have cited various statistics to show that children’s health might have been harmed. But two scientists now say that a comprehensive review of the data has “raised questions about how risks and statistics have been communicated,” adding that “the furor over this issue seems way out of proportion to the actual dangers.” From a broader perspective, a book titled Getting Risk Right: Understanding the Science of Elusive Health Risks, reviewed in Issues, explores the challenges of understanding and prioritizing risk and examines how the tools of risk assessment can help to protect public health without raising undue worries.

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