EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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

Butyl acetate is used as lacquer solvent, primarily for wood furniture and automotive topcoats; process and extraction solvent; it is also used in adhesives and sealants. Potential health impacts associated with Butyl Acetate include gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity.

Sources of Butyl Acetate:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Butyl Acetate tests reported by 3,939 public water suppliers in 2 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 3,813 people in 2 communities drank water contaminated with Butyl Acetate. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Butyl Acetate remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

3,813 People drinking water contaminated with Butyl Acetate 2 Communities served water contaminated with Butyl Acetate

Table. Butyl Acetate Exposure by State

3,813 Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with Butyl Acetate between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Butyl Acetate contamination
	Systems	Population
Texas	2	3,813
Total	2	3,813

Table. The most polluted communities

3,813 Americans in 2 communities were served tap water contaminated with Butyl Acetate between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Butyl Acetate level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Fort Bend County Municipal Utilities Dis Sugar Land, TX	3,501	1 of 4	2.5 ppb (0 to 10 ppb)
2	Study Butte Terlingua Water System Terlingua, TX	312	1 of 2	0.65 ppb (0 to 1.3 ppb)

Testing Summary for Butyl Acetate

Water suppliers report an average of 0.6 Butyl Acetate tests per year. 35,812 water suppliers failed to report any Butyl Acetate tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Butyl Acetate by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Butyl Acetate (1998-2003): 3,939 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.6 per year

Butyl Acetate Violations

Because Butyl Acetate 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 Butyl Acetate, and any level is legal in tap water.