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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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Status: Regulated - EPA has established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Trichloroacetic acid is a disinfection by-product. Potential health impacts associated with Trichloroacetic acid include cancer, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity.

Sources of Trichloroacetic acid:

Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts (pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Trichloroacetic acid tests reported by 2,514 public water suppliers in 22 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 39.0 million people in 1,749 communities drank water contaminated with Trichloroacetic acid. In 253 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds.

Exposure Summary

38,988,416 People drinking water contaminated with Trichloroacetic acid 1,749 Communities served water contaminated with Trichloroacetic acid 2,023,732 People drinking water contaminated with Trichloroacetic acid over health based limits 253 Communities served water with Trichloroacetic acid above health based limits

Table. Trichloroacetic acid Exposure by State

2.0 million Americans in 15 states were served tap water contaminated with Trichloroacetic acid at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Trichloroacetic acid contamination		Water suppliers reporting Trichloroacetic acid above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
California	112	3,782,923	19	464,783
Missouri	112	1,268,514	59	440,771
Ohio	283	7,212,671	21	222,149
Arkansas	215	2,487,778	42	204,608
Illinois	639	8,768,927	67	191,490
Oklahoma	34	1,582,967	11	152,423
Texas	39	2,351,946	3	99,104
Florida	54	2,963,836	7	73,381
Maine	12	203,693	5	69,155
Montana	17	178,656	3	53,678
Michigan	71	1,982,267	8	26,802
Wyoming	23	185,453	4	13,277
Minnesota	51	2,069,457	2	10,803
Alaska	5	154,688	1	666
North Dakota	22	307,269	1	642
Nevada	16	1,651,532	0	0
Nebraska	15	848,732	0	0
Wisconsin	16	607,506	0	0
Delaware	7	212,507	0	0
New Mexico	6	167,094	0	0
Total	1,749	38,988,416	253	2,023,732

Table. The most polluted communities

2.0 million Americans in 253 communities were served tap water contaminated with Trichloroacetic acid above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Trichloroacetic acid level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Sunnier Palms Campground Ft. Pierce, FL	100	1 of 1	257 ppb (257 to 257 ppb)
2	Creighton Creighton, MO	290	40 of 40	139.12 ppb (4.03 to 266 ppb)
3	Ark Human Development Center Booneville, AR	600	5 of 5	132.92 ppb (72.8 to 220 ppb)
4	Cooksville Chenoa, IL	300	16 of 16	118.11 ppb (16.2 to 282 ppb)
5	Ridgeway Ridgeway, MO	505	40 of 40	115.63 ppb (3.63 to 279 ppb)
6	Garden City Garden City, MO	1,364	40 of 40	113.46 ppb (37.8 to 279 ppb)
7	Cathedral Oaks Brownsville, CA	140	1 of 1	110 ppb (110 to 110 ppb)
8	Boonville Boonville, MO	8,202	41 of 43	107.3 ppb (0 to 801 ppb)
9	Hindsboro Hindsboro, IL	375	15 of 15	101.03 ppb (67.9 to 170 ppb)
10	Sunny Shores Mhp Troy, MI	387	1 of 1	87.3 ppb (87.3 to 87.3 ppb)

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Health based limits for Trichloroacetic acid

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	60 ppb	The enforceable standard which defines the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to health-based limits (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, or MCLGs) as feasible using the best available analytical and treatment technologies and taking cost into consideration. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG)	20 ppb	A non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	3000 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for up to one day of exposure. The One-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure	3000 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure. The Ten-Day health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is typically set to protect a 10-kg child consuming 1 liter of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk	20 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for a lifetime of exposure. The Lifetime health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is based on exposure for a a 70-kg adult consuming 2 liters of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	1000 ppb	A lifetime exposure concentration protective of adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects, that assumes all of the exposure to a contaminant is from drinking water. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Testing Summary for Trichloroacetic acid

Water suppliers report an average of 1.9 Trichloroacetic acid tests per year. 37,237 water suppliers failed to report any Trichloroacetic acid tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Trichloroacetic acid by federal law? Yes Water suppliers reporting tests for Trichloroacetic acid (1998-2003): 2,514 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 1.9 per year

Trichloroacetic acid Violations

Table. < 0.1 percent of all water suppliers violated safe drinking water standards for Trichloroacetic acid between 1998 and 2003

Violation Type	Violations	Systems
Any Violation (1998-2003)	3	2
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)
Testing violations (1998-2003)	3	2
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)