EWG INVESTIGATION

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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.

Phenanthrene is a pollutant from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. It is also used in the manufacture of dyes, explosives, and pharmaceuticals. Potential health impacts associated with Phenanthrene include respiratory toxicity and skin sensitivity.

Sources of Phenanthrene:

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

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Phenanthrene tests reported by 2,940 public water suppliers in 12 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 62 thousand people in 21 communities drank water contaminated with Phenanthrene. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Phenanthrene remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

62,027 People drinking water contaminated with Phenanthrene 21 Communities served water contaminated with Phenanthrene

Table. Phenanthrene Exposure by State

62 thousand Americans in 4 states were served tap water contaminated with Phenanthrene between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Phenanthrene contamination
	Systems	Population
Texas	9	32,139
Arkansas	7	18,737
New Hampshire	4	7,951
Nevada	1	3,200
Total	21	62,027

Table. The most polluted communities

62,000 Americans in 21 communities were served tap water contaminated with Phenanthrene between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Phenanthrene level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Farmington Water Department Farmington, NH	3,000	2 of 2	6.76 ppb (0.52 to 13 ppb)
2	Stallion Springs Canyon Lake, TX	201	1 of 1	2.84 ppb (2.84 to 2.84 ppb)
3	Mountain Lakes Water Department Haverhill, NH	653	1 of 1	1.4 ppb (1.4 to 1.4 ppb)
4	City of White Settlement Fort Worth, TX	14,862	1 of 7	0.33 ppb (0 to 2.3 ppb)
5	Upton County Wcid 1 Rankin RANKIN, TX	25	1 of 1	0.3 ppb (0.3 to 0.3 ppb)
6	Wilmot Waterworks Wilmot, AR	992	4 of 5	0.28 ppb (0 to 0.56 ppb)
7	North Conway Water Precinct Conway, NH	4,050	1 of 1	0.2 ppb (0.2 to 0.2 ppb)
8	City of Mertzon Mertzon, TX	839	2 of 2	0.16 ppb (0.15 to 0.17 ppb)
9	Cattlemans Crossing Water System Devine, TX	693	2 of 2	0.15 ppb (0.12 to 0.17 ppb)
10	Colorado River Mwd Pyote BIG SPRING, TX	250	1 of 2	0.13 ppb (0 to 0.26 ppb)

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Testing Summary for Phenanthrene

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 Phenanthrene tests per year. 36,811 water suppliers failed to report any Phenanthrene tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Phenanthrene by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Phenanthrene (1998-2003): 2,940 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

Phenanthrene Violations

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