National Drinking Water Database
National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants
Molybdenum
Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.
Molybdenum is a byproduct of copper and tungsten mining, and is used as an alloy for various metals; it also occurs naturally in soil and rock.
Detected |
Found above health guidelines |
Found above legal limit |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| States | 9 |
4 |
- |
| Water utilities | 299 |
21 |
- |
| People Served | 25,141,504 |
158,331 |
- |
Health Concerns for Molybdenum:
- Cancer
- Developmental/reproductive toxicity
- Occupational hazards
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
- Biochemical or cellular level changes
- Persistence and bioaccumulation
- Enhanced skin absorption
- Ecotoxicology
Molybdenum Exposure by State
Water utilities in 9 states have reported detecting Molybdenum in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.
| State | Water Suppliers with Molybdenum contamination | Water suppliers reporting Molybdenum above health-based limits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems | Population | Systems | Population | |
| California | 39 | 18,319,792 | 1 | 92,115 |
| Illinois | 224 | 4,814,716 | 16 | 60,641 |
| Ohio | 11 | 126,455 | 2 | 5,360 |
| Vermont | 5 | 10,430 | 2 | 215 |
| Nevada | 8 | 1,718,861 | 0 | 0 |
| Delaware | 1 | 140,000 | 0 | 0 |
| New York | 6 | 9,588 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 1,463 | 0 | 0 |
| Alaska | 1 | 199 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 299 | 25,141,504 | 21 | 158,331 |
The Most Polluted Communities
299 water utilities reported detecting Molybdenum in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies
Ranked by highest average Molybdenum level
| Rank | System | Population Served | Positive test results of total reported tests | Average Level (Range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grandwood Park Subdivision Libertyville, IL | 5,639 | 6 of 6 | 70.27 ppb (59.5 to 82 ppb) |
| 2 | Arden Shores Estates Subdivision Libertyville, IL | 66 | 1 of 1 | 60 ppb (60 ppb) |
| 3 | Fairfax Fire District 1 Fairfax, VT | 80 | 1 of 1 | 60 ppb (60 ppb) |
| 4 | Hiatts Hideaway Mhp East Peoria, IL | 150 | 2 of 3 | 52.67 ppb (0 to 130 ppb) |
| 5 | Ohio-American Water Co. - Lake Darby Westerville, OH | 4,495 | 1 of 1 | 51 ppb (51 ppb) |
| 6 | Utl Inc-County Line Water Company Northbrook, IL | 366 | 1 of 1 | 51 ppb (51 ppb) |
| 7 | Brookside Mhp Starksboro, VT | 135 | 2 of 2 | 43 ppb (36 to 50 ppb) |
| 8 | East Alton East Alton, IL | 6,695 | 1 of 1 | 41.2 ppb (41.2 ppb) |
| 9 | Ohio-American Water Co. - Timberbrook Pws Westerville, OH | 865 | 1 of 1 | 41 ppb (41 ppb) |
| 10 | Milford Milford, IL | 1,369 | 2 of 3 | 40.67 ppb (0 to 95 ppb) |
Health Based Limits for Molybdenum
| Standard | Description | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 40 ppb |
| 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. | 40 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. | 80 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. | 80 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. | 200 ppb |
Testing Summary for Molybdenum
| Are tests routinely required for Molybdenum by federal law? | No |
| Water suppliers reporting tests for Molybdenum (2004-2009): | 1,161 of 47,576 |
| Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009): | 0.4 per year |
Cancer
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Limited evidence of carcinogenicity | Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya 1980 |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at low doses | RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1977 |
| One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at low doses | RTECS®- Farmakologiya i Toksikologiya (Moscow) 1978 |
| One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at high doses | RTECS®- Archives of Environmental Health 1971 |
Occupational hazards
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to moderate doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to moderate doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| Single case study detailing occupational hazards | Frazier , L, 1998 |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| One or more animal studies show respiratory effects at low doses | RTECS®- National Technical Information Service |
| One or more animal studies show liver effects at low doses | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva 1989 |
| One or more animal studies show liver effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva 1989 |
| One or more animal studies show kidney or renal system effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva 1989 |
| One or more animal studies show metabolic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva 1989 |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Biochemical or cellular level changes
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| One or more animal studies show biochemical changes at low doses where the human health implications are not yet well understood | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva 1989 |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Enhanced skin absorption
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Suspected nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skin | Nanomaterial Database |
Ecotoxicology
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| Amer Conf of Gov't Industrial Hygienists - Carcinogens | MOLYBDENUM AS MO (SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS) | •Confirmed animal carcinogen with unknown relevance to humans (ACGIH classification A3) |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | MOLYBDENUM | • o |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | MOLYBDENUM | •This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected persistence. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | MOLYBDENUM AND COMPOUNDS | •PEL (OSHA) - Permissible exposure limit (OSHA): 5 mg/m3, as Mo(sol. compds); •TLV (ACGIH) - Threshold limit value (ACGIH): 10 mg/m3, as Mo, inhal. fraction, 3 mg/m3, as Mo, respir. fraction(metal and insol. compds), 0.5 mg/m3, as Mo, respir. fraction(sol. compds); •IDLH (NIOSH) - Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health: 5000 mg/m3(metal), 1000 mg/m3, as Mo(sol. compds); |
| Nanomaterial Database | MOLYBDENUM | •potential nano-scale ingredient |
| Frazier , L, 1998 | MOLYBDENUM | •Reproductive toxicity hazards: suspected |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 | MOLYBDENUM | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | MOLYBDENUM | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva 1989 | MOLYBDENUM | • metabolic - Weight loss or decreased weight gain (rabbit TDLo) • liver - Other changes (rat TDLo) • biochemical - Other oxidoreductases (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Archives of Environmental Health 1971 | MOLYBDENUM | • reproductive - Fetotoxicity (mouse TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Farmakologiya i Toksikologiya (Moscow) 1978 | MOLYBDENUM | • reproductive - Musculoskeletal system (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1977 | MOLYBDENUM | • reproductive - Musculoskeletal system (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Post-implantation mortality (rat TDLo) • reproductive - Pre-implantation mortality (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya 1980 | MOLYBDENUM | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (rat ihl) |
| RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya 1980 | MOLYBDENUM | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (rat ihl) |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service | MOLYBDENUM | • respiratory - Fibrosis, focal (pneumoconiosis) (rabbit LDLo) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| 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. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents. |
| Nanomaterial Database | NanoWerk. 2007. Nanomaterial Database. Available online: http://www.nanowerk.com/phpscripts/n_dbsearch.php |
| Scorecard.org Toxicity Information | Frazier , L. and M. L. Hage (eds.). Reproductive Hazards of the Workplace, Wiley Europe, 1998. Table 10 (Partial List of Reproductive Toxicants) available at http://www.pharmacy.ohio-state.edu/homepage/safety/chemhygiene_table_repro.pdf. |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva 1989 | RTECS®- "Vrednie chemichescie veshestva. Neorganicheskie soedinenia elementov V-VII groopp" (Hazardous substances. Inornanic substances containing V-VII group elements), Bandman A.L. et al., Chimia, 1989. -,317,1989 |
| RTECS®- Archives of Environmental Health 1971 | RTECS®- Archives of Environmental Health. (Heldref Pub., 4000 Albemarle St., NW, Washington, DC 20016) V.1- 1960- 23,102,1971 |
| RTECS®- Farmakologiya i Toksikologiya (Moscow) 1978 | RTECS®- Farmakologiya i Toksikologiya (Moscow). For English translation, see PHTXA6 and RPTOAN. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.2- 1939- 41,620,1978 |
| RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya 1977 | RTECS®- Gigiena i Sanitariya. For English translation, see HYSAAV. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1- 1936- 42(8),30,1977 |
| RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya 1980 | RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya. Labor Hygiene and Occupational Diseases. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1-36, 1957-1992. For publisher information, see MTPEEI 24(9),33,1980 |
| RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya 1980 | RTECS®- Gigiena Truda i Professional'nye Zabolevaniya. Labor Hygiene and Occupational Diseases. (V/O Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, 113095 Moscow, USSR) V.1-36, 1957-1992. For publisher information, see MTPEEI 24(9),33,1980 |
| RTECS®- National Technical Information Service | RTECS®- National Technical Information Service. (Springfield, VA 22161) Formerly U.S. Clearinghouse for Scientific & Technical Information. PB249-458 |
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