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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; used in pyrotechnics and in refining zinc . Potential health impacts associated with Strontium include musculoskeletal toxicity. Sources of Strontium:  | Industry |
An Environmental Working Group analysis of Strontium tests reported by 59 public water suppliers in 7 states shows that between 1998 and 2002, 579 thousand people in 54 communities drank water contaminated with Strontium. In 9 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds. Strontium remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit. Exposure Summary 578,735 | People drinking water contaminated with Strontium | 54 | Communities served water contaminated with Strontium | 44,363 | People drinking water contaminated with Strontium over health based limits | 9 | Communities served water with Strontium above health based limits |
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Table. Strontium Exposure by State44 thousand Americans in 3 states were served tap water contaminated with Strontium at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2002. | State | Water suppliers with Strontium contamination | Water suppliers reporting Strontium above health-based limits |
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| Systems | Population | Systems | Population |
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| Ohio | 13 | 88,376 | 4 | 23,558 | | Illinois | 30 | 357,273 | 2 | 18,725 | | New York | 3 | 2,080 | 3 | 2,080 | | Montana | 1 | 66,450 | 0 | 0 | | Minnesota | 6 | 63,796 | 0 | 0 | | Nevada | 1 | 760 | 0 | 0 | | Total | 54 | 578,735 | 9 | 44,363 |
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Table. The most polluted communities44,000 Americans in 9 communities were served tap water contaminated with Strontium above health based limits between 1998 and 2002 Ranked by highest average Strontium level | Rank | System
| Population Served
| Positive test results of total reported tests
| Average Level
(Range) |
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| 1 | Altona Correctional Facility
Altona, NY | 880 | 1 of 1 | 74000 ppb
(74000 to 74000 ppb) | | 2 | Northway Mobile Home Park - Perth (t)
Castle Rock, CO | 250 | 1 of 1 | 64000 ppb
(64000 to 64000 ppb) | | 3 | Ohio - American Water Company - Timberbr
Westerville, OH | 865 | 1 of 1 | 40889 ppb
(40889 to 40889 ppb) | | 4 | Ohio - American Water Company - Lake Dar
Westerville, OH | 4,495 | 1 of 1 | 11494 ppb
(11494 to 11494 ppb) | | 5 | Ohio American Water Co - Tiffin District
Tiffin, OH | 18,135 | 1 of 1 | 6684 ppb
(6684 to 6684 ppb) | | 6 | Wynstone Water Company
North Barrington, IL | 1,134 | 1 of 1 | 5000 ppb
(5000 to 5000 ppb) | | 7 | Green Meadows Mhp
Johnstown, OH | 63 | 1 of 1 | 4730 ppb
(4730 to 4730 ppb) | | 8 | Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich, IL | 17,591 | 5 of 5 | 4440 ppb
(3700 to 5000 ppb) | | 9 | Theresa Village
Theresa, NY | 950 | 1 of 1 | 4200 ppb
(4200 to 4200 ppb) |
Health based limits for Strontium
| Health Limit | Limit Value | Limit Description |
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| Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure | 25000 ppb | 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. | | Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure | 25000 ppb | 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. | | Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk | 4000 ppb | 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. | | Drinking Water Equivalent Level | 20000 ppb | 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. | Testing Summary for Strontium Water suppliers report an average of 0.3 Strontium tests per year. 39,692 water suppliers failed to report
any Strontium tests at all. | Are tests routinely required for Strontium by federal law? | No | | Water suppliers reporting tests for Strontium (1998-2002): | 59 of 39,751 | | Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2002): | 0.3 per year |
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Strontium Violations Because Strontium is unregulated in tap water, no violations are
recorded in EPA's violations database, the Safe Drinking Water Information
System. Under the federal tap water law, water suppliers are not required
to routinely test for Strontium, and any level is legal in tap water.
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