National Drinking Water Database

• Read the Research
• Get a Water Filter
• Tips for Safe Water
• FAQs
• EWG Needs Your Help. As little as $5 can help.

National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants

Dalapon

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

Dalapon is an herbicide used on roads, railway tracks and other rights of way. [read more]

Dalapon (2,2-Dichloropropanoic acid) Dalapon, also known as 2,2-dichloropropanoic acid, is an organochlorine herbicide formerly applied on crops such as alfalfa, asparagus, potatoes, sugar, beets, rape seed and flax. It was also used to control roadside and railway grasses. Dalapon is no longer contained in any registered pesticide products in the United States, and all uses have effectively been canceled by EPA (Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) 2003c). Dalapon is found in our drinking water as a result of its direct application onto grasses and crops. Reporting of environmental releases is not required for dalapon, so no release estimates are available. Exposure to dalapon has produced kidney damage in rats, and kidney damage, throat irritation and weight loss in cows. The compound has also been found to be toxic to mallard eggs (California Environmental Protection Agency 1997c).

	Detected	Found above health guidelines	Found above legal limit
States	24	-	-
Water utilities	756	-	-
People Served	19,116,278	-	-

Health Concerns for Dalapon:

• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
• Cancer
• Occupational hazards
• Ecotoxicology

Dalapon Exposure by State

Water utilities in 24 states have reported detecting Dalapon in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.

State	Water Suppliers with Dalapon contamination
	Systems	Population
Texas	529	6,379,686
Maryland	34	3,682,696
Florida	50	3,119,453
North Carolina	69	2,261,385
Indiana	3	964,940
Virginia	2	759,117
Arizona	4	446,068
Kentucky	7	339,265
New York	6	260,765
Pennsylvania	1	250,000
Delaware	1	201,000
California	2	175,600
Connecticut	14	68,137
Alabama	4	63,603
Massachusetts	2	61,000
Minnesota	12	47,224
Michigan	4	12,731
Iowa	4	10,873
Illinois	2	3,625
Maine	1	2,840
Wisconsin	1	2,160
Washington	1	1,995
Oregon	1	1,800
Montana	2	315
Total	756	19,116,278

The Most Polluted Communities

756 water utilities reported detecting Dalapon in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies

Ranked by highest average Dalapon level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Phenix City Utilities Phenix City, AL	35,358	1 of 2	18.15 ppb (0 to 36.3 ppb)
2	Millry Water Works Millry, AL	2,214	1 of 1	7.3 ppb (7.3 ppb)
3	Lakewood Water System Lufkin, TX	110	4 of 4	6.5 ppb (4.3 to 9.2 ppb)
4	Horseshoe Beach Wtp Horseshoe Beach, FL	820	4 of 6	5.07 ppb (0 to 10 ppb)
5	Rolling Hills Subdivision Shelbyville, TX	42	1 of 1	4.2 ppb (4.2 ppb)
6	Thunderbird Bay Subdivision Dallas, TX	800	14 of 14	4.05 ppb (1.6 to 17.5 ppb)
7	Red River Army Depot Texarkana, TX	2,950	10 of 10	3.99 ppb (2.6 to 6.3 ppb)
8	Everglades City Everglades City, FL	2,500	5 of 8	3.95 ppb (0 to 7.7 ppb)
9	Walnut Ridge Estates Water System Zavalla, TX	195	1 of 2	3.9 ppb (0 to 7.8 ppb)
10	Riverside Harbor Ll Livingston, TX	378	7 of 15	3.81 ppb (0 to 10.1 ppb)

Health Based Limits for Dalapon

Standard	Description	Level
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.	200 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.	200 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.	200 ppb
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.	790 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.	900 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.	3000 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.	3000 ppb

Testing Summary for Dalapon

Are tests routinely required for Dalapon by federal law?	Yes
Water suppliers reporting tests for Dalapon (2004-2009):	23,270 of 47,576
Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009):	0.4 per year

Violation Summary for Dalapon

Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards for Dalapon since 2004

Maximum Contaminant Level Exceedance Violations	0
Monitoring Violations	1,640
Reporting Violations	0

Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

Type of concern:	Reference:
Classified as irritant	European Union - Classification & Labelling

Cancer

Type of concern:	Reference:
Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen	EPA Water Disinfection By-Products Carcinogenicity
One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results	RTECS®- Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 1973

Occupational hazards

Type of concern:	Reference:
Allowed workplace exposures restricted to moderate doses	RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007

Ecotoxicology

Type of concern:	Reference:
Wildlife and environmental toxicity	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	DALAPON;;2,2-DICHLOROPROPIONIC ACID; [1];DALAPON-SODIUM;;SODIUM 2,2-DICHLOROPROPIONATE [2]	•Irritant (eyes, skin, or lungs) •Irritating to skin •Harmful to aquatic organisms
EPA Water Disinfection By-Products Carcinogenicity	2,2-DICHLOROPROPANOIC ACID	•Marginal concern for potential carcinogenicity
National Library of Medicine HazMap	2,2-DICHLOROPROPIONIC ACID	SD: No;
RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007	2,2-DICHLOROPROPIONIC ACID	• occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA)
RTECS®- Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 1973	2,2-DICHLOROPROPIONIC ACID	• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (other micro-organisms )

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.
EPA Water Disinfection By-Products Carcinogenicity	EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2006. EPA Water Disinfection By-Products with Carcinogenicity Estimates. Last updated: 10 April 2006.
National Library of Medicine HazMap	NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007	RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007
RTECS®- Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 1973	RTECS®- Indian Journal of Experimental Biology. (Publications & Information Directorate, CSIR, Hillside Rd., New Delhi 110 012, India) V.1- 11,114,1973

"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.