National Drinking Water Database
National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants
Paraquat
Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.
Paraquat is an herbicide uses to control weeds and grasses for wide range of crops, a defoliant for cotton and hops, and a desiccant for fruit, sugar and other crops.
Detected |
Found above health guidelines |
Found above legal limit |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| States | 1 |
- |
- |
| Water utilities | 2 |
- |
- |
| People Served | 12,589 |
- |
- |
Health Concerns for Paraquat:
Paraquat Exposure by State
Water utilities in 1 states have reported detecting Paraquat in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.
| State | Water Suppliers with Paraquat contamination | |
|---|---|---|
| Systems | Population | |
| Arkansas | 2 | 12,589 |
| Total | 2 | 12,589 |
The Most Polluted Communities
2 water utilities reported detecting Paraquat in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies
Ranked by highest average Paraquat level
| Rank | System | Population Served | Positive test results of total reported tests | Average Level (Range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decatur Waterworks Decatur, AR | 1,589 | 1 of 5 | 0.17 ppb (0 to 0.85 ppb) |
| 2 | Magnolia Waterworks Magnolia, AR | 11,000 | 1 of 5 | 0.02 ppb (0 to 0.1 ppb) |
Health Based Limits for Paraquat
| 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. | 30 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. | 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. | 100 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 Paraquat
| Are tests routinely required for Paraquat by federal law? | No |
| Water suppliers reporting tests for Paraquat (2004-2009): | 1,107 of 47,576 |
| Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009): | 0.4 per year |
Occupational hazards
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to very low doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
Cancer
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Biochemical Pharmacology 1992 |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Cancer Research 1989 |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 2000 |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 1995 |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 1998 |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2001 |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Journal of Toxicological Sciences 2000 |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 2008 |
| One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Mutation Research 1984 |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| European Commission on Endocrine Disruption | PARAQUAT = 1,1'-DIMETHYL-4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM | HH-CAT3b;WF-CAT3b |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- Biochemical Pharmacology 1992 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Damage ( human ast) |
| RTECS®- Cancer Research 1989 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sister Chromatid Exchange ( human lym) |
| RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2001 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: DNA Damage ( human lng) |
| RTECS®- Journal of Toxicological Sciences 2000 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sister Chromatid Exchange (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1984 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (other micro-organisms ) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1995 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (mouse ipr) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: other mutation test systems (mouse ipr) • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: sperm (mouse ipr) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1998 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2000 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Micronucleus test (mouse ipr) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2008 | 4,4'-BIPYRIDINIUM, 1,1'-DIMETHYL- | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Micronucleus test (mouse oth) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| European Commission on Endocrine Disruption | EU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998. |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| RTECS®- Biochemical Pharmacology 1992 | RTECS®- Biochemical Pharmacology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.1- 43,705,1992 |
| RTECS®- Cancer Research 1989 | RTECS®- Cancer Research. (Public Ledger Building, Suit 816, 6th & Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19106) V.1- 49,5239,1989 |
| RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis 2001 | RTECS®- Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis. (Alan R. Liss, Inc., 41 E. 11th St., New York, NY 10003) V.10- 37,155,2001 |
| RTECS®- Journal of Toxicological Sciences 2000 | RTECS®- Journal of Toxicological Sciences. (Japanese Soc. of Toxicological Sciences, 4th Floor, Gakkai Center Bldg., 4-16, Yayoi 2-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan) V.1- 25,199,2000 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1984 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 138,39,1984 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1995 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 328,113,1995 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1998 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 412,187,1998 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2000 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 464,239,2000 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 2008 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 655,4,2008 |
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