EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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WHAT'S IN YOUR WATER?

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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Credits

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

Endosulfan I is a component of the pesticide endosulfan, used for control of insects on food crops such as grains, tea, fruits, on vegetables and on nonfood crops such as tobacco and cotton, and as a wood preservative. Potential health impacts associated with Endosulfan I include cardiovascular or blood toxicity, endocrine toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, immunotoxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity.

Sources of Endosulfan I:

	Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)
	Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Endosulfan I tests reported by 356 public water suppliers in 9 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 200 thousand people in 1 communities drank water contaminated with Endosulfan I. Endosulfan I remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

200,000 People drinking water contaminated with Endosulfan I 1 Community served water contaminated with Endosulfan I

Table. Endosulfan I Exposure by State

200 thousand Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with Endosulfan I between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Endosulfan I contamination
	Systems	Population
Delaware	1	200,000
Total	1	200,000

Table. The most polluted communities

200,000 Americans in 1 communities were served tap water contaminated with Endosulfan I between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Endosulfan I level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Artesian Water Company Newark, DE	200,000	1 of 102	< 0.01 ppb (0 to 0.06 ppb)

Health based limits for Endosulfan I

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	62 ppb	Water quality criteria set by the US EPA provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect human health. These are non-enforceable standards based upon exposure by both drinking water and the contribution of water contamination to other consumed foods. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Testing Summary for Endosulfan I

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 Endosulfan I tests per year. 39,395 water suppliers failed to report any Endosulfan I tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Endosulfan I by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Endosulfan I (1998-2003): 356 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

Endosulfan I Violations

Because Endosulfan I 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 Endosulfan I, and any level is legal in tap water.