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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

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

Trichlorofluoromethane (Freon 11) is a refrigerant, solvent, chemical intermediate, and halocarbon aerosol that was banned as of 2000 under the Montreal Protocol because of its ozone-depleting properties. Potential health impacts associated with Trichlorofluoromethane include cardiovascular or blood toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity. [read more]

Sources of Trichlorofluoromethane:

	Sprawl and Urban Areas (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)
	Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Trichlorofluoromethane tests reported by 22,543 public water suppliers in 35 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 2.2 million people in 127 communities drank water contaminated with Trichlorofluoromethane. Trichlorofluoromethane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

2,221,413 People drinking water contaminated with Trichlorofluoromethane 127 Communities served water contaminated with Trichlorofluoromethane

Table. Trichlorofluoromethane Exposure by State

2.2 million Americans in 20 states were served tap water contaminated with Trichlorofluoromethane between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Trichlorofluoromethane contamination
	Systems	Population
Washington	6	334,660
California	10	324,352
Wisconsin	3	264,912
Alabama	3	234,981
Nebraska	1	203,000
Delaware	1	200,000
South Carolina	25	187,541
Florida	3	166,384
New Hampshire	3	128,333
North Carolina	16	89,431
Alaska	40	35,530
New Jersey	1	19,600
Colorado	4	12,230
Pennsylvania	2	8,750
Minnesota	2	8,573
Utah	2	2,366
Oklahoma	1	465
Missouri	2	200
Ohio	1	70
Idaho	1	35
Total	127	2,221,413

Table. The most polluted communities

2.2 million Americans in 127 communities were served tap water contaminated with Trichlorofluoromethane between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Trichlorofluoromethane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Thorne Bay Thorne Bay, AK	612	1 of 6	41.67 ppb (0 to 250 ppb)
2	Yuima Mutual Water District Ida Pauma Valley, CA	996	1 of 1	24.4 ppb (24.4 to 24.4 ppb)
3	Tununak Water System Tununak, AK	354	1 of 1	8.16 ppb (8.16 to 8.16 ppb)
4	Hughes Public Water Supply Hughes, AK	65	6 of 6	7.39 ppb (5.16 to 9.67 ppb)
5	Toksook Bay Water System Toksook Bay, AK	499	4 of 4	6.35 ppb (1.17 to 16.1 ppb)
6	Rurban Homes Mutual Water Co. El Monte, CA	1,200	13 of 25	5.41 ppb (0 to 29.2 ppb)
7	Lakeview Apt Water System Quinhagak, AK	25	3 of 3	4.67 ppb (1.8 to 10.3 ppb)
8	Westwood Forest Mhp Charlotte, NC	371	2 of 2	4.4 ppb (4.2 to 4.6 ppb)
9	Ykhc Hospital - Bethel Bethel, AK	510	1 of 4	4.23 ppb (0 to 16.9 ppb)
10	Sunset Pointe S / D Greenwood, SC	60	1 of 2	4.21 ppb (0 to 8.41 ppb)

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Health based limits for Trichlorofluoromethane

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
California Public Health Goals	700 ppb	Defined by the State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) as the level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. For acutely toxic substances, levels are set at which scientific evidence indicates that no known or anticipated adverse effects on health will occur, plus an adequate margin-of safety. PHGs for carcinogens or other substances which can cause chronic disease shall be based solely on health effects without regard to cost impacts and shall be set at levels which OEHHA has determined do not pose any significant risk to health.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	7000 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	7000 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	2000 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	10000 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 Trichlorofluoromethane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.7 Trichlorofluoromethane tests per year. 17,208 water suppliers failed to report any Trichlorofluoromethane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Trichlorofluoromethane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Trichlorofluoromethane (1998-2003): 22,543 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.7 per year

Trichlorofluoromethane Violations

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