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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.

Chloroethane is used in the manufacture of dyes, drugs, perfumes, and leaded gasoline additives; as an insectidice, intermediate in chemical manufacturing, and solvent; and is a possible tap water disinfection by-product. Potential health impacts associated with Chloroethane include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, developmental toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, and respiratory toxicity.

Sources of Chloroethane:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Chloroethane tests reported by 25,444 public water suppliers in 38 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 620 thousand people in 85 communities drank water contaminated with Chloroethane. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Chloroethane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

620,241 People drinking water contaminated with Chloroethane 85 Communities served water contaminated with Chloroethane

Table. Chloroethane Exposure by State

620 thousand Americans in 24 states were served tap water contaminated with Chloroethane between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Chloroethane contamination
	Systems	Population
Alabama	22	145,461
California	9	130,617
Iowa	1	85,028
New Jersey	3	80,986
Tennessee	5	62,712
Wisconsin	2	48,340
New Hampshire	4	13,132
Arkansas	5	11,092
Indiana	5	7,414
Colorado	4	6,614
Nebraska	1	6,350
North Carolina	3	5,124
New York	1	4,400
Nevada	2	3,892
Ohio	3	1,919
Texas	2	1,752
Washington	2	1,745
Delaware	3	1,467
Oklahoma	2	724
Alaska	1	666
Missouri	1	450
Pennsylvania	2	226
Virginia	1	90
Arizona	1	40
Total	85	620,241

Table. The most polluted communities

620,000 Americans in 85 communities were served tap water contaminated with Chloroethane between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Chloroethane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Nps Echo Bay Boulder City, NV	237	1 of 5	9.8 ppb (0 to 49 ppb)
2	Mcgrath Water System Mcgrath, AK	666	1 of 3	8.87 ppb (0 to 26.6 ppb)
3	Delta Delta, MO	450	1 of 1	6.6 ppb (6.6 to 6.6 ppb)
4	Blackie Rd Water System #5 Salinas, CA	54	1 of 1	3.5 ppb (3.5 to 3.5 ppb)
5	Moundville Water Works Moundville, AL	3,372	1 of 2	3.49 ppb (0 to 6.97 ppb)
6	Holland Water Works Holland, IN	1,472	1 of 1	2.9 ppb (2.9 to 2.9 ppb)
7	Colby Pond Danville, NH	399	1 of 1	2.58 ppb (2.58 to 2.58 ppb)
8	San Miguel Water System #1 Watsonville, CA	100	1 of 1	2.3 ppb (2.3 to 2.3 ppb)
9	Fishkill Village Fishkill, NY	4,400	1 of 1	2.2 ppb (2.2 to 2.2 ppb)
10	Benbrook Village Mobile Home Park Fort Worth, TX	210	2 of 4	2.1 ppb (0 to 5.3 ppb)

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Testing Summary for Chloroethane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.6 Chloroethane tests per year. 14,307 water suppliers failed to report any Chloroethane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Chloroethane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Chloroethane (1998-2003): 25,444 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.6 per year

Chloroethane Violations

Because Chloroethane 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 Chloroethane, and any level is legal in tap water.