National Drinking Water Database
National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants
Acenaphthene
Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.
Acenaphthene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) released from fossil fuel combustion and petroleum refining; it is also used as an intermediate in the manufacture of dyes, plastics and pharmaceuticals, and as an insecticide and fungicide.
Detected |
Found above health guidelines |
Found above legal limit |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| States | 3 |
- |
- |
| Water utilities | 5 |
- |
- |
| People Served | 203,154 |
- |
- |
Health Concerns for Acenaphthene:
Acenaphthene Exposure by State
Water utilities in 3 states have reported detecting Acenaphthene in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.
| State | Water Suppliers with Acenaphthene contamination | |
|---|---|---|
| Systems | Population | |
| Delaware | 2 | 201,075 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 1,770 |
| Iowa | 2 | 309 |
| Total | 5 | 203,154 |
The Most Polluted Communities
5 water utilities reported detecting Acenaphthene in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies
Ranked by highest average Acenaphthene level
| Rank | System | Population Served | Positive test results of total reported tests | Average Level (Range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plover Water Supply Storm Lake, IA | 95 | 1 of 1 | 3.7 ppb (3.7 ppb) |
| 2 | Hampton Waterworks Hampton, AR | 1,770 | 2 of 5 | 0.07 ppb (0 to 0.24 ppb) |
| 3 | Autumn Woods Mobile Home Park Wyoming, DE | 75 | 1 of 2 | 0.05 ppb (0 to 0.1 ppb) |
| 4 | Palmer Water Supply Palmer, IA | 214 | 1 of 2 | 0.05 ppb (0 to 0.1 ppb) |
| 5 | Artesian Water Company Newark, DE | 201,000 | 1 of 73 | < 0.01 ppb (0 to 0.17 ppb) |
Health Based Limits for Acenaphthene
| Standard | Description | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Health-Based Screening Level | A benchmark concentration of contaminants in water that may be of potential concern for human health, if exceeded. For noncarcinogens, the HBSL represents the contaminant concentration in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse effects over a lifetime of exposure. For carcinogens, the HBSL range represents the contaminant concentration in drinking water that corresponds to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 chance in 1 million to 1 chance in 10 thousand. Source: U.S. Geological Survey. | 400 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. | 670 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. | 2000 ppb |
Testing Summary for Acenaphthene
| Are tests routinely required for Acenaphthene by federal law? | No |
| Water suppliers reporting tests for Acenaphthene (2004-2009): | 2,164 of 47,576 |
| Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009): | 0.4 per year |
Cancer
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 2002 |
| One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mikrobiologiya 1985 |
| One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 2004 |
| One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 2007 |
| 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: |
| Limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 |
Ecotoxicology
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Wildlife and environmental toxicity | EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants | ACENAPHTHENE | •Priority water pollutant under the Clean Water Act |
| Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 | ACENAPHTHENE | •Gastrointestinal or liver toxicity hazards: suspected |
| Int'l Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Carcinogens | ACENAPHTHENE | •IARC Group 3 (no cancer link) |
| RTECS®- Mikrobiologiya 1985 | ACENAPHTHENE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (other micro-organisms ) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2002 | ACENAPHTHENE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2004 | ACENAPHTHENE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Salmonella typhimurium ) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2007 | ACENAPHTHENE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Salmonella typhimurium ) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants | |
| 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 |
| 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). |
| RTECS®- Mikrobiologiya 1985 | RTECS®- Mikrobiologiya. Microbiology. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1- 54,360,1985 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2002 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 517,187,2002 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2004 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 557,99,2004 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2007 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 626,88,2007 |
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