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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.

2,4-Dinitrotoluene is used in the production of dyes and as a propellant in explosives. Potential health impacts associated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity.

Sources of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene tests reported by 841 public water suppliers in 13 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 545 people in 1 communities drank water contaminated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene. In all of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

545 People drinking water contaminated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene 1 Community served water contaminated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene 545 People drinking water contaminated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene over health based limits 1 Community served water with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene above health based limits

Table. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene Exposure by State

545 Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene contamination		Water suppliers reporting 2,4-Dinitrotoluene above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
Florida	1	545	1	545
Total	1	545	1	545

Table. The most polluted communities

545 Americans in 1 communities were served tap water contaminated with 2,4-Dinitrotoluene above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average 2,4-Dinitrotoluene level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Leisure Lakes / Fwsc Lake Placid, FL	545	1 of 2	0.8 ppb (0 to 1.6 ppb)

Health based limits for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
One in ten thousand (10-4) Cancer Risk	5 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	0.11 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.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	500 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	500 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.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	100 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-Dinitrotoluene

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 2,4-Dinitrotoluene tests per year. 38,910 water suppliers failed to report any 2,4-Dinitrotoluene tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (1998-2003): 841 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

2,4-Dinitrotoluene Violations

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