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Chlorite in Arkansas

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Chlorite is a disinfection byproduct resulting from water treatment with chlorine dioxide, or from the use of chlorine dioxide as a bleaching agent for cellulose, paper pulp, flour and oils. [read more]

Chlorite Chlorite is a disinfection byproduct of chlorine dioxide used to treat drinking water for pathogens. Chlorite also forms from chlorine dioxide used as a bleaching agent for textiles, paper pulp, flour and oils. In laboratory animals, chlorite, in the form of sodium chlorite, has been shown to cause changes in the size of the liver, adrenal gland, kidney and two important organs involved in immune response (the spleen and thymus). Chlorite also causes alterations in blood chemistry due to oxidative stress in the red blood cells (WHO 2004a), which can be a precursor to anemia. Rats exposed to sodium chlorite during development were underweight, less likely to survive and had delayed physical and sexual maturation (Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) 2000).

The Most Polluted Communities in Arkansas

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

Ranked by highest average Chlorite level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Magnolia Waterworks Magnolia, AR	11,000	24 of 24	336.75 ppb (28 to 628 ppb)
2	Waldron Waterworks Waldron, AR	4,325	19 of 28	294.82 ppb (0 to 689.33 ppb)
3	Searcy Waterworks Searcy, AR	22,036	56 of 56	285.79 ppb (29.33 to 552.33 ppb)
4	Greenwood Waterworks Greenwood, AR	8,290	40 of 66	227.37 ppb (0 to 774.33 ppb)
5	Hope Water Light Comm Hope, AR	11,405	22 of 22	123.42 ppb (15.37 to 405 ppb)
6	Montgonery Co Regional Pwa Mount Ida, AR	63	5 of 8	65.54 ppb (0 to 152.67 ppb)
7	Texarkana Water Utilities Texarkana, AR	28,775	4 of 6	60.64 ppb (0 to 157.33 ppb)

Health Based Limits for Chlorite

Standard	Description	Level
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.	800 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.	800 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.	840 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.	840 ppb
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.	1000 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.	1000 ppb

Violation Summary for Chlorite in Arkansas

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

Violation Type	Number of Violations
Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule	5