[xtypo_dropcap]T[/xtypo_dropcap]he Environmental Working Group (EWG), conducting laboratory tests of United States drinking water from 35 U.S. cities, has found a dangerous metal called hexavalent chromium in tap water from 31 of the 35 cities.
Also called chromium-6, hexavalent chromium is a dangerous cancer-causing toxin. Specifically, tests performed on laboratory animals found an increased risk of gastrointestinal tumors. A toxicological review performed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in September similarly found that hexavalent chromium is likely to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) to humans, as well.
Of the 31 cities where this toxic metal was found the highest levels were in Norman, Okla., Honolulu, Hawaii, and Riverside, Calif. Twenty-five of these cities where the metal was detected reported concentrations above the maximum safety level proposed by California water regulators. In one city, concentrations of the dangerous metal were 200 times higher than California’s maximum limit.
Additionally, nearly 74 million Americans ranging from 42 of the 50 states drink chromium-6 polluted tap water. Many Americans may be drinking it in dangerous concentrations.
Last year, California proposed a public health goal for hexavalent in their water supply. The limit was to be 0.06 parts per billion. This was the first step taken to reduce the risk of cancer. However, the EPA has not yet set a national standard for chromium-6 and does not require local public utilities to test for it.
“Today, I am announcing a series of actions that the EPA will take over the coming days to address chromium-6 in our drinking water. It is clear that the first step is to understand the prevalence of this problem. While the EWG study was informative, it only provided a snapshot in time,” said Jackson in an EPA press release posted on their website Dec. 22.
She continued, “EPA will work with local and state officials to get a better picture of exactly how widespread this problem is. In the meantime, EPA will issue guidance to all water systems in the country to help them develop monitoring and sampling programs specifically for chromium-6. We will also offer significant technical assistance to the communities cited in the EWG report with the highest levels of chromium-6 to help ensure they quickly develop an effective chromium-6 specific monitoring program.”
