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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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

Acrylonitrile is an intermediate in the manufacture of chemicals, antioxidants, pharmaceuticals, dyes; it is also a pesticide fumigant for grain. Potential health impacts associated with Acrylonitrile include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, developmental toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity. [read more]

Sources of Acrylonitrile:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Acrylonitrile tests reported by 4,266 public water suppliers in 8 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 95 people in 1 communities drank water contaminated with Acrylonitrile. In all of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds. Acrylonitrile remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

95 People drinking water contaminated with Acrylonitrile 1 Community served water contaminated with Acrylonitrile 95 People drinking water contaminated with Acrylonitrile over health based limits 1 Community served water with Acrylonitrile above health based limits

Table. Acrylonitrile Exposure by State

95 Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with Acrylonitrile at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Acrylonitrile contamination		Water suppliers reporting Acrylonitrile above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
New Jersey	1	95	1	95
Total	1	95	1	95

Table. The most polluted communities

95 Americans in 1 communities were served tap water contaminated with Acrylonitrile above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Acrylonitrile level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Sherwood Village Flanders, NJ	95	1 of 6	0.43 ppb (0 to 2.6 ppb)

Health based limits for Acrylonitrile

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
One in ten thousand (10-4) Cancer Risk	6 ppb	The concentration of a chemical in drinking water corresponding to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	0.05 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 Acrylonitrile

Water suppliers report an average of 0.7 Acrylonitrile tests per year. 35,485 water suppliers failed to report any Acrylonitrile tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Acrylonitrile by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Acrylonitrile (1998-2003): 4,266 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.7 per year

Acrylonitrile Violations

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