National Drinking Water Database
National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants
Silver (total)
Status: For this chemical EPA has established a non-enforceable guideline called a "secondary standard," regulating it for aesthetic or cosmetic concerns (taste, odor, tooth discoloration, etc.)
Silver is an element from natural deposits and mining wastes; it is also associated with the development of photographic and x-ray film and the use of silver in antibacterial consumer products.
Detected |
Found above health guidelines |
Found above legal limit |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| States | 19 |
2 |
2 |
| Water utilities | 250 |
3 |
3 |
| People Served | 5,778,244 |
3,540 |
3,540 |
Health Concerns for Silver (total):
- Persistence and bioaccumulation
- Occupational hazards
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
- Cancer
- Ecotoxicology
- Enhanced skin absorption
Silver (total) Exposure by State
Water utilities in 19 states have reported detecting Silver (total) in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.
| State | Water Suppliers with Silver (total) contamination | Water suppliers reporting Silver (total) above health-based limits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems | Population | Systems | Population | |
| Missouri | 28 | 60,726 | 2 | 3,460 |
| New Hampshire | 31 | 76,271 | 1 | 80 |
| California | 68 | 3,602,043 | 0 | 0 |
| New York | 19 | 405,441 | 0 | 0 |
| New Jersey | 15 | 365,704 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah | 2 | 312,025 | 0 | 0 |
| Alaska | 2 | 221,911 | 0 | 0 |
| Delaware | 4 | 205,772 | 0 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 17 | 164,144 | 0 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 15 | 158,182 | 0 | 0 |
| Nevada | 1 | 56,500 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 12 | 46,488 | 0 | 0 |
| Alabama | 3 | 32,535 | 0 | 0 |
| North Dakota | 9 | 18,623 | 0 | 0 |
| Maine | 5 | 18,091 | 0 | 0 |
| Texas | 8 | 17,448 | 0 | 0 |
| Illinois | 4 | 10,361 | 0 | 0 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 3,379 | 0 | 0 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 2,600 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 250 | 5,778,244 | 3 | 3,540 |
The Most Polluted Communities
250 water utilities reported detecting Silver (total) in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies
Ranked by highest average Silver (total) level
| Rank | System | Population Served | Positive test results of total reported tests | Average Level (Range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magdalen College NH | 80 | 1 of 1 | 110 ppb (110 ppb) |
| 2 | Haywood City Benton, MO | 300 | 1 of 3 | 95.33 ppb (0 to 286 ppb) |
| 3 | Colby Brook Estates Epsom, NH | 88 | 1 of 1 | 48 ppb (48 ppb) |
| 4 | Olde Country Village Townhouse Londonderry, NH | 130 | 2 of 2 | 47 ppb (4 to 90 ppb) |
| 5 | Willowbank Colony Edgeley, ND | 95 | 1 of 2 | 30 ppb (0 to 60 ppb) |
| 6 | City of Oakes Oakes, ND | 1,979 | 1 of 2 | 30 ppb (0 to 60 ppb) |
| 7 | Bethany Bethany, MO | 3,160 | 1 of 6 | 29.17 ppb (0 to 175 ppb) |
| 8 | City of Strasburg Strasburg, ND | 549 | 1 of 3 | 26.67 ppb (0 to 80 ppb) |
| 9 | Rancho Corrido RV Resort Pauma Valley, CA | 350 | 1 of 1 | 24.8 ppb (24.8 ppb) |
| 10 | Lake Shure Home Owners Association Harwood, ND | 75 | 1 of 3 | 23.33 ppb (0 to 70 ppb) |
Health Based Limits for Silver (total)
| 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. | 100 ppb |
| National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations | A National Secondary Drinking Water Regulation is a non-enforceable guideline regarding contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color). Some states choose to adopt them as enforceable standards. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | 100 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. | 100 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. | 200 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. | 200 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 Silver (total)
| Are tests routinely required for Silver (total) by federal law? | Yes |
| Water suppliers reporting tests for Silver (total) (2004-2009): | 11,389 of 47,576 |
| Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009): | 0.4 per year |
Violation Summary for Silver (total)
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards for Silver (total) since 2004
| Maximum Contaminant Level Exceedance Violations | 0 |
| Monitoring Violations | 255 |
| Reporting Violations | 0 |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife | Canada PBTs - Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET) |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Occupational hazards
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to very low doses | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to very low doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2005 |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to very low doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to very low doses | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| Allowed workplace exposures restricted to low doses | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Classified as medium human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Limited evidence of sense organ 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 |
Cancer
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high doses | RTECS®- Zeitschrift fuer Krebsforschung 1960 |
| One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high doses | RTECS®- Cancer Research 1956 |
| One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high doses | RTECS®- Naturwissenschaften 1955 |
| Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen | EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) |
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 |
Enhanced skin absorption
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Suspected nano-scale ingredients with potential to absorb into the skin | Nanomaterial Database |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | SILVER | • o |
| Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | SILVER | •Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics |
| FDA Color Additive Status | SILVER | •Color additive approved by FDA for use in cosmetics •Color additive not approved by FDA for cosmetics used around eyes |
| EPA Clean Water Act - Priority Pollutants | SILVER | •Priority water pollutant under the Clean Water Act |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | SILVER | •This chemical was deemed a moderate human health priority and was flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected persistence. |
| EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) | SILVER | •Group D: Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity (EPA classification) |
| CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook | SILVER | •Color Additives - Exempt from Batch Certification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration |
| National Library of Medicine HazMap | SILVER, METAL AND SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS | •Methemoglobinemia: Methemoglobinemia, Secondary; •PEL (OSHA) - Permissible exposure limit (OSHA): 0.01 mg/m3, as Ag; •Bioaccumulates: Yes; •TLV (ACGIH) - Threshold limit value (ACGIH): 0.01 mg/m3, as Ag(compounds), 0.1 mg/m3(metal); •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: 0: will not burn; •IDLH (NIOSH) - Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health: 10 mg/m3, as Ag; •MAK - Maximum Allowable Concentration (Federal Republic of Germany): 0.1 mg/m3, inhalable fraction(metal); |
| Nanomaterial Database | SILVER | •potential nano-scale ingredient |
| Nanomaterial Database | SILVER | •potential nano-scale ingredient |
| Canada PBTs - Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET) | SILVER COMPOUNDS | •Persistent toxicant under Canada's Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics program - targeted for elimination or reduction |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | SILVER | •Toxic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory programs |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | SILVER COMPOUNDS | •Toxic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory programs |
| California EPA, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 2003 | SILVER COMPOUNDS | •Skin or sense organ toxicity hazards: suspected |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2005 | SILVER | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 | SILVER | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | SILVER | • occupationally related - ACGIH TLV (human TWA) |
| RTECS®- Cancer Research 1956 | SILVER | • cancer - Tumors at site of application (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Naturwissenschaften 1955 | SILVER | • cancer - Tumors at site of application (rat TD) |
| RTECS®- Zeitschrift fuer Krebsforschung 1960 | SILVER | • cancer - Tumors at site of application (rat TDLo) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation. |
| Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007. |
| FDA Color Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Color Additive Status List. September 2006. |
| 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. |
| CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook | CTFA (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association). 2006. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, 11th Edition. Color Additive Information. Washington, DC. |
| 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 |
| Canada PBTs - Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET) | EC (Environment Canada). 1994. Accelerated Reduction/Elimination of Toxics (ARET). ARET substance list of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals. |
| EPA Toxic Release Inventory PBTs | EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Toxics Release Inventory Program. PBT Chemical Rule. |
| 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. |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2005 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2005 |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2006 |
| RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 | RTECS®- TLV/BEI,2007 |
| RTECS®- Cancer Research 1956 | RTECS®- Cancer Research. (Public Ledger Building, Suit 816, 6th & Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19106) V.1- 1941- 16,439,1956 |
| RTECS®- Naturwissenschaften 1955 | RTECS®- Naturwissenschaften. (Springer-Verlag, Heidelberger Platz 3, D-1000 Berlin 33, Fed. Rep. Ger.) V.1- 1913- 42,75,1955 |
| RTECS®- Zeitschrift fuer Krebsforschung 1960 | RTECS®- Zeitschrift fuer Krebsforschung. (Berlin, Fed. Rep. Ger.) V.1-75, 1903-71. For publisher information, see JCROD7. 63,586,1960 |
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