National Drinking Water Database
National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Status: Regulated - EPA has established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.
1,1,2-Trichloroethane is used in production of synthetic fibers, plastic wraps and adhesives; it is released as a pollutant from various chemical manufacturing factories. [read more]
Detected |
Found above health guidelines |
Found above legal limit |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| States | 14 |
10 |
- |
| Water utilities | 31 |
18 |
- |
| People Served | 1,198,408 |
660,225 |
- |
Health Concerns for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane:
- Cancer
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
- Persistence and bioaccumulation
- Occupational hazards
- Ecotoxicology
- Neurotoxicity
- Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
1,1,2-Trichloroethane Exposure by State
Water utilities in 14 states have reported detecting 1,1,2-Trichloroethane in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.
| State | Water Suppliers with 1,1,2-Trichloroethane contamination | Water suppliers reporting 1,1,2-Trichloroethane above health-based limits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems | Population | Systems | Population | |
| Florida | 6 | 415,919 | 3 | 307,349 |
| California | 2 | 234,102 | 1 | 190,106 |
| New York | 8 | 296,381 | 5 | 119,581 |
| New Jersey | 2 | 20,100 | 2 | 20,100 |
| Idaho | 1 | 10,500 | 1 | 10,500 |
| Indiana | 1 | 6,263 | 1 | 6,263 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 2,401 | 1 | 2,401 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 2,140 | 2 | 2,055 |
| Virginia | 1 | 1,650 | 1 | 1,650 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 220 | 1 | 220 |
| Delaware | 2 | 203,300 | 0 | 0 |
| Missouri | 1 | 2,779 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio | 1 | 2,603 | 0 | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 31 | 1,198,408 | 18 | 660,225 |
The Most Polluted Communities
31 water utilities reported detecting 1,1,2-Trichloroethane in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies
Ranked by highest average 1,1,2-Trichloroethane level
| Rank | System | Population Served | Positive test results of total reported tests | Average Level (Range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mcconnellsburg Boro Muni Auth Mcconnellsburg, PA | 2,000 | 2 of 5 | 0.56 ppb (0 to 1.8 ppb) |
| 2 | Bedford Hills/Taconic Corr. Facilities Bedford Hills, NY | 1,100 | 1 of 1 | 0.5 ppb (0.5 ppb) |
| 3 | Goshen Village Goshen, NY | 5,676 | 1 of 9 | 0.41 ppb (0 to 3.7 ppb) |
| 4 | Windy Acres Mobile Home Hackettstown, NJ | 100 | 5 of 12 | 0.3 ppb (0 to 0.96 ppb) |
| 5 | Indian Kill Tuxedo, NY | 2,000 | 1 of 4 | 0.24 ppb (0 to 0.94 ppb) |
| 6 | Aloha Travel Trailer Park Kissimmee, FL | 225 | 1 of 7 | 0.2 ppb (0 to 1.4 ppb) |
| 7 | Ledyard Wpca, Sablewoods System Ledyard, CT | 220 | 1 of 8 | 0.18 ppb (0 to 1.4 ppb) |
| 8 | Clayton Municipal Supply Albuquerque, NM | 2,401 | 1 of 3 | 0.17 ppb (0 to 0.5 ppb) |
| 9 | Wild Oaks Water Company Rockport, NY | 805 | 1 of 3 | 0.17 ppb (0 to 0.5 ppb) |
| 10 | Rensselaer Water Department Rensselaer, IN | 6,263 | 1 of 19 | 0.16 ppb (0 to 3.1 ppb) |
Health Based Limits for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
| Standard | Description | Level |
|---|---|---|
| California Public Health Goals | Defined by the State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) as the level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. For acutely toxic substances, levels are set at which scientific evidence indicates that no known or anticipated adverse effects on health will occur, plus an adequate margin-of safety. PHGs for carcinogens or other substances which can cause chronic disease shall be based solely on health effects without regard to cost impacts and shall be set at levels which OEHHA has determined do not pose any significant risk to health. | 0.3 ppb |
| EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria | Water quality criteria set by the US EPA provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect human health. These are non-enforceable standards based upon exposure by both drinking water and the contribution of water contamination to other consumed foods. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 0.59 ppb |
| One in one million (10-6) Cancer Risk | The concentration of a chemical in drinking water corresponding to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 1,000,000. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 0.6 ppb |
| Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG) | 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. | 3 ppb |
| Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk | 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. | 3 ppb |
| Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL) | 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. | 5 ppb |
| One in ten thousand (10-4) Cancer Risk | The concentration of a chemical in drinking water corresponding to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 60 ppb |
| Drinking Water Equivalent Level | 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. | 100 ppb |
| Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure | 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. | 400 ppb |
| Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure | 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. | 600 ppb |
Testing Summary for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
| Are tests routinely required for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane by federal law? | Yes |
| Water suppliers reporting tests for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane (2004-2009): | 33,938 of 47,576 |
| Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009): | 0.6 per year |
Violation Summary for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane since 2004
| Maximum Contaminant Level Exceedance Violations | 0 |
| Monitoring Violations | 4,298 |
| Reporting Violations | 0 |
Cancer
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Possible human carcinogen | California EPA Proposition 65 |
| Cancer - strong evidence | Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens |
| Limited evidence of carcinogenicity | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
| Limited evidence of carcinogenicity | Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens |
| Limited evidence of carcinogenicity | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
| Possible carcinogen | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen | Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Known human respiratory toxicant | EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants |
| Classified as medium human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at low doses | EPA Categorized List of Inert Pesticide Ingredients |
| Classified as toxic or harmful | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
| Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
| Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 |
| Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity | US EPA, Air Risk Information Support Center |
| Limited evidence of cardiovascular or blood toxicity | California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 2003 |
| Limited evidence of kidney toxicity | California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 2003 |
| One or more animal studies show classified as toxic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humans | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Occupational hazards
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
Ecotoxicology
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Wildlife and environmental toxicity | EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Neurotoxicity
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| nervous system - weight of evidence unknown/unassessed/unreview: published lit review or major tox study | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Classified as skin irritant | European Union - Classification & Labelling |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect •Harmful •Harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed •Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking |
| Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Confirmed animal carcinogen with unknown relevance to humans (ACGIH classification A3) |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | • S |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | • S |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | • S |
| EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Priority water pollutant under the Clean Water Act |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | ETHANE, 1,1,2-TRICHLORO- | •This chemical was deemed a human health priority even though it did not meet the strict criteria of the categorization exercise of CEPA. The chemical was flagged for carcinogenic concern and suspected persistence. |
| EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Group C: Possible human carcinogen (EPA classification) |
| EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Hazardous air pollutant under Clean Air Act |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Skin Designation (ACGIH) - Danger of cutaneous absorption (ACGIH): Yes; •Hepatotoxin: Hepatotoxin, Secondary; •Neurotoxin: CNS Solvent Syndrome; •PEL (OSHA) - Permissible exposure limit (OSHA): 10 ppm; •LC50 - Lethal concentration in 50% of animals tested: 1000 ppm; •TLV (ACGIH) - Threshold limit value (ACGIH): 10 ppm; •Flammability (NFPA) - NFPA flammability code: 0 = will not burn; 1 = must be preheated; 2 = high ambient temp required; 3 = may ignite at ambient temp; 4 = burn readily: 1: must be preheated; •IDLH (NIOSH) - Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health: 100 ppm; •Odor Threshold High - The lowest concentration at which a substance can be detected or recognized using the sense of smell: 167 ppm; •Odor Threshold Low - The lowest concentration at which a substance can be detected or recognized using the sense of smell: 0.5 ppm; •MAK - Maximum Allowable Concentration (Federal Republic of Germany): 10 ppm; |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •IARC Group 3 (no cancer link) |
| EPA Categorized List of Inert Pesticide Ingredients | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Pesticide inerts of toxicological concern according to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | 1,1,2TRICHLOROETHANE | •Toxic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory programs |
| California EPA Proposition 65 | VINYL TRICHLORIDE (1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE) | •Carcinogen: California Proposition 65 |
| Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards: suspected |
| US EPA, Air Risk Information Support Center | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards: suspected |
| California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 2003 | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Cardiovascular or blood toxicity hazards: suspected |
| California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 2003 | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Kidney toxicity hazards: suspected |
| Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens | 1,1,2-TRICHLOROETHANE | •Cancer hazards: recognized |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| European Union - Classification & Labelling | CPS&Q (Consumer Products Safety & Quality) formely known as ECB (European Chemicals Bureau). 2008. Classification and Labelling: Chemicals: Annex VI of Directive 67/548/EEC through the 31st ATP. |
| Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens | ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) 2008. ACGIH cancer classification system. www.acgih.org. |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation. |
| EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants | |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2008. Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Evidence for human carcinogenicity based on 1986-2005 guidelines. |
| EPA Hazardous Air Pollutants | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2005. Office of Air. The 112(b)1 Hazardous Air Pollutants List (as modified). Last modified: 12 Dec 2005. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). 2008. Overall Evaluations of Carcinogenicity to Humans, as evaluated in IARC Monographs Volumes 1-99 (a total of 935 agents, mixtures and exposures). |
| EPA Categorized List of Inert Pesticide Ingredients | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1987 & 2005. Office of Pesticide Programs. Inert (other) Pesticide Ingredients in Pesticide Products - Categorized List of Inert (other) Pesticide Ingredients. |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule. |
| California EPA Proposition 65 | California EPA (California Environmental Protection Agency). 9/2008. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Chemicals known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Minimal risk Levels for Hazardous Substances. January 2004. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mrls.html, California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Air Toxics Hot Spots Program Risk Assessment Guidelines, Part III: Technical Support Document 'Determination of Noncancer Chronic Reference Exposure Levels'. Includes all Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (CRELs) adopted by OEHHA as of August 2003 (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/chronic_rels/AllChrels.html, plus draft CRELS proposed through March 2004 (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/chronic_rels/index.html., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. See Environmental Defense's Suspect Hazard Identification documentation. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | US EPA, Air Risk Information Support Center. Health Effects Notebook for Hazardous Air Pollutants. http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/hapindex.html |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Air Toxics Hot Spots Program Risk Assessment Guidelines, Part III: Technical Support Document 'Determination of Noncancer Chronic Reference Exposure Levels'. Includes all Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (CRELs) adopted by OEHHA as of August 2003 (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/chronic_rels/AllChrels.html, plus draft CRELS proposed through March 2004 (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/chronic_rels/index.html. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Air Toxics Hot Spots Program Risk Assessment Guidelines, Part III: Technical Support Document 'Determination of Noncancer Chronic Reference Exposure Levels'. Includes all Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (CRELs) adopted by OEHHA as of August 2003 (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/chronic_rels/AllChrels.html, plus draft CRELS proposed through March 2004 (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/air/chronic_rels/index.html. |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | Proposition 65 List of Carcinogens (July 2004) can be obtained from http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html. |
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