National Drinking Water Database
National Drinking Water Database - Chemical Contaminants
Strontium
Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.
Strontium is a metal used in producing glass for TV sets, pyrotechnics and in refining zinc.
Detected |
Found above health guidelines |
Found above legal limit |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| States | 5 |
4 |
- |
| Water utilities | 366 |
16 |
- |
| People Served | 2,366,053 |
147,000 |
- |
Health Concerns for Strontium:
- Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
- Endocrine disruption
- Ecotoxicology
- Persistence and bioaccumulation
Strontium Exposure by State
Water utilities in 5 states have reported detecting Strontium in treated tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies.
| State | Water Suppliers with Strontium contamination | Water suppliers reporting Strontium above health-based limits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems | Population | Systems | Population | |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 64,500 | 2 | 64,500 |
| Illinois | 340 | 2,141,804 | 12 | 62,865 |
| Ohio | 17 | 117,126 | 1 | 18,135 |
| New York | 3 | 9,668 | 1 | 1,500 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 32,955 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 366 | 2,366,053 | 16 | 147,000 |
The Most Polluted Communities
366 water utilities reported detecting Strontium in tap water since 2004, according to EWG's analysis of water quality data supplied by state water agencies
Ranked by highest average Strontium level
| Rank | System | Population Served | Positive test results of total reported tests | Average Level (Range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin Water Utility Franklin, WI | 22,500 | 1 of 1 | 33250 ppb (33250 ppb) |
| 2 | Croghan Village Croghan, NY | 1,500 | 1 of 1 | 21000 ppb (21000 ppb) |
| 3 | Fond DU Lac Waterworks Fond Du Lac, WI | 42,000 | 3 of 3 | 11936 ppb (7800 to 18350 ppb) |
| 4 | Heiden Gardens Condos Lake Bluff, IL | 264 | 1 of 1 | 7370 ppb (7370 ppb) |
| 5 | Kewanee Kewanee, IL | 12,950 | 1 of 1 | 6900 ppb (6900 ppb) |
| 6 | Ohio American Water Co-Tiffin District Tiffin, OH | 18,135 | 2 of 2 | 6504 ppb (5340 to 7668 ppb) |
| 7 | Wynstone Water Company North Barrington, IL | 1,428 | 1 of 1 | 6250 ppb (6250 ppb) |
| 8 | Gardner Gardner, IL | 1,406 | 1 of 1 | 5300 ppb (5300 ppb) |
| 9 | Macomb Macomb, IL | 11,840 | 1 of 1 | 4835 ppb (4835 ppb) |
| 10 | Orion Orion, IL | 1,821 | 1 of 1 | 4820 ppb (4820 ppb) |
Health Based Limits for Strontium
| 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. | 4000 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. | 4000 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. | 20000 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. | 25000 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. | 25000 ppb |
Testing Summary for Strontium
| Are tests routinely required for Strontium by federal law? | No |
| Water suppliers reporting tests for Strontium (2004-2009): | 370 of 47,576 |
| Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (2004-2009): | 0.2 per year |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Limited evidence of musculoskeletal toxicity | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 |
| One or more animal studies show musculoskeletal effects at high doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | RTECS®- Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica, Section A: Pathology 1987 |
| One or more animal studies show metabolic effects at high doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | RTECS®- Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica, Section A: Pathology 1987 |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Endocrine disruption
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| One or more animal studies show endocrine system disruption at high doses | RTECS®- Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica, Section A: Pathology 1987 |
Ecotoxicology
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Type of concern: | Reference: |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics | STRONTIUM | • o |
| Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients | STRONTIUM | •Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | STRONTIUM | •This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention. The chemical was flagged for suspected persistence. |
| Japan's Standards for Cosmetics | STRONTIUM COMPOUNDS | •Japan - prohibited for use in cosmetics |
| Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2004 | STRONTIUM | •Musculoskeletal toxicity hazards: suspected |
| RTECS®- Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica, Section A: Pathology 1987 | STRONTIUM | • metabolic - Weight loss or decreased weight gain (rat TDLo) • musculoskeletal - Osteomalacia (rat TDLo) • endocrine system - Other changes (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. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| Japan's Standards for Cosmetics | Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. 2006. Standards for Cosmetics. Evaluation and Licensing Division. Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau. |
| 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 |
| RTECS®- Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica, Section A: Pathology 1987 | RTECS®- Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica, Section A: Pathology. (Munksgaard International Pub., POB 2148, DK-1016 Copenhagen K, Denmark) V.90-95, 1982-87. 95,309,1987 |
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