Roy, SiddharthaTang, MinEdwards, Marc A.2019-08-222019-08-222019-09-010043-1354http://hdl.handle.net/10919/93217Routine biosolids monitoring data provides an independent and comprehensive means to estimate water lead release pre-, during and post-Flint Water Crisis (FWC). The mass of potable plumbing-related metals ( i.e., lead, cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc) in sewage biosolids strongly correlated with one another during the FWC (p < 0.05). A simple parametric regression model based on 90th percentile potable water lead measurements (WLL90) from five city-wide citizen science sampling efforts August 2015-August 2017 was strongly correlated to corresponding monthly lead mass in biosolids [Biosolids-Pb (kg) = 0.483 x WLL90 (mu g/L) + 1.79: R-2 = 0.86, p < 0.05]. Although total biosolids lead increased just 14% during the 18 months of the FWC versus the comparable time pre-FWC, 76% of that increase occurred in July -September 2014, and the corresponding percentage of Flint children under 6 years with elevated blood lead >= 5 mu g/dL (i.e., %EBL5) doubling from 3.45% to 6.61% in those same three months versus 2013 (p < 0.05). %EBL5 was not statistically higher during the remaining months of the FWC compared to preFWC or post-FWC. As expected, lead in biosolids during the FWC, when orthophosphate was not added, was moderately correlated with water temperature (R-2 = 0.30, p < 0.05), but not at other times pre- and post-FWC when orthophosphate was present. Tripling the orthophosphate dose post-FWC versus pre-FWC and some lead pipe removal, decreased lead in biosolids (and %EBLS) to historic lows (2016-2017 vs. 2012-2013; p < 0.05), supporting the effectiveness of these public health interventions in reducing childhood water lead exposure. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.application/pdfenCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 InternationalBlood lead levelsBiosolidsFlint water crisisLead corrosionLead exposureArticle - Refereedhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.05.09116031177077