EWG INVESTIGATION

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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.

Acenaphthylene is a component of crude oil and coal tar; and a pollutant from petroleum refining, coal tar distillation, municipal waste water treatment facilities and municipal waste incinerators. Potential health impacts associated with Acenaphthylene include respiratory toxicity. Potential health impacts associated with Acenaphthylene include respiratory toxicity.

Sources of Acenaphthylene:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Acenaphthylene tests reported by 2,951 public water suppliers in 12 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 14 thousand people in 12 communities drank water contaminated with Acenaphthylene. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Acenaphthylene remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

13,702 People drinking water contaminated with Acenaphthylene 12 Communities served water contaminated with Acenaphthylene

Table. Acenaphthylene Exposure by State

14 thousand Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with Acenaphthylene between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Acenaphthylene contamination
	Systems	Population
California	10	9,458
Arkansas	2	4,244
Total	12	13,702

Table. The most polluted communities

14,000 Americans in 12 communities were served tap water contaminated with Acenaphthylene between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Acenaphthylene level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	South Desert Mutual Water Company Inyokern, CA	32	1 of 1	104 ppb (104 to 104 ppb)
2	Buttonwillow Cwd Buttonwillow, CA	1,500	1 of 1	100 ppb (100 to 100 ppb)
3	Tejon Ranch Main Headquarters Lebec, CA	100	1 of 1	98 ppb (98 to 98 ppb)
4	Stallion Springs Csd Tehachapi, CA	1,800	2 of 3	64 ppb (0 to 97 ppb)
5	Manon Manor Mutual Water Company Bakersfield, CA	200	1 of 2	50 ppb (0 to 100 ppb)
6	June Lake Public Utility District Villag June Lake, CA	330	1 of 2	48.5 ppb (0 to 97 ppb)
7	Old River Mutual Water Company Bakersfield, CA	66	1 of 2	48 ppb (0 to 96 ppb)
8	June Lake P.u.d. - Down Canyon June Lake, CA	400	1 of 2	46 ppb (0 to 92 ppb)
9	Krista Mutual Water Company Frazier Park, CA	530	1 of 3	32.67 ppb (0 to 98 ppb)
10	Mojave Pud Mojave, CA	4,500	1 of 3	32.67 ppb (0 to 98 ppb)

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Testing Summary for Acenaphthylene

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 Acenaphthylene tests per year. 36,800 water suppliers failed to report any Acenaphthylene tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Acenaphthylene by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Acenaphthylene (1998-2003): 2,951 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

Acenaphthylene Violations

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