EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

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CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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Status: Unregulated - EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

1,4-Dioxane is a stabilizing chemical in industrial solvents; it is widely used as solvent in variety of consumer products, including paints, varnishes, lacquers, cosmetics and deodorants; it is used in paper, cotton, and textile processing, in fumigants and in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Potential health impacts associated with 1,4-Dioxane include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, immunotoxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity. [read more]

Sources of 1,4-Dioxane:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of 1,4-Dioxane tests reported by 127 public water suppliers in 3 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 625 thousand people in 11 communities drank water contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane. In 1 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds. 1,4-Dioxane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

624,871 People drinking water contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane 11 Communities served water contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane 105,332 People drinking water contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane over health based limits 1 Community served water with 1,4-Dioxane above health based limits

Table. 1,4-Dioxane Exposure by State

105 thousand Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with 1,4-Dioxane contamination		Water suppliers reporting 1,4-Dioxane above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
California	11	624,871	1	105,332
Total	11	624,871	1	105,332

Table. The most polluted communities

105,000 Americans in 1 communities were served tap water contaminated with 1,4-Dioxane above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average 1,4-Dioxane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	City of Burbank Water Dept. Burbank, CA	105,332	1 of 78	0.59 ppb (0 to 46.2 ppb)

Health based limits for 1,4-Dioxane

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
One in ten thousand (10-4) Cancer Risk	300 ppb	The concentration of a chemical in drinking water corresponding to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	4000 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	40 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.

Testing Summary for 1,4-Dioxane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.8 1,4-Dioxane tests per year. 39,624 water suppliers failed to report any 1,4-Dioxane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for 1,4-Dioxane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for 1,4-Dioxane (1998-2003): 127 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.8 per year

1,4-Dioxane Violations

Because 1,4-Dioxane 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 1,4-Dioxane, and any level is legal in tap water.