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.

2,4,5-T is a herbicide banned in 1985; formerly used in the home and on recreation areas; on industrial sites, lumber yards, vacant lots, lawns and turf, and crops including rice. Potential health impacts associated with 2,4,5-T include cancer, endocrine toxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity.

Sources of 2,4,5-T:

Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of 2,4,5-T tests reported by 4,800 public water suppliers in 12 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 39 thousand people in 2 communities drank water contaminated with 2,4,5-T. 2,4,5-T remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

39,273 People drinking water contaminated with 2,4,5-T 2 Communities served water contaminated with 2,4,5-T

Table. 2,4,5-T Exposure by State

39 thousand Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with 2,4,5-T between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with 2,4,5-T contamination
	Systems	Population
Washington	1	37,073
New York	1	2,200
Total	2	39,273

Table. The most polluted communities

39,000 Americans in 2 communities were served tap water contaminated with 2,4,5-T between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average 2,4,5-T level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Norwood Village Norwood, NY	2,200	1 of 1	0.6 ppb (0.6 to 0.6 ppb)
2	Longview Water Department Kelso, WA	37,073	1 of 5	0.02 ppb (0 to 0.1 ppb)

Health based limits for 2,4,5-T

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	800 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	800 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	70 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	400 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 2,4,5-T

Water suppliers report an average of 0.4 2,4,5-T tests per year. 34,951 water suppliers failed to report any 2,4,5-T tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for 2,4,5-T by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for 2,4,5-T (1998-2003): 4,800 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.4 per year

2,4,5-T Violations

Because 2,4,5-T 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 2,4,5-T, and any level is legal in tap water.