EWG INVESTIGATION

Findings

About The Data

News Release

EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

Related News Clips

WHAT'S IN YOUR WATER?

Find Your Water Company

NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

Find a Contaminant

Credits

Sign up to receive email updates from EWG

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

Butyl Benzylphthalate is an industrial solvent and additive used in adhesives, vinyl flooring, sealants, car-care products, and some personal care products. Potential health impacts associated with Butyl Benzylphthalate include cancer, developmental toxicity, endocrine toxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. [read more]

Sources of Butyl Benzylphthalate:

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

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Butyl Benzylphthalate tests reported by 3,078 public water suppliers in 12 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 597 thousand people in 45 communities drank water contaminated with Butyl Benzylphthalate. Butyl Benzylphthalate remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

597,319 People drinking water contaminated with Butyl Benzylphthalate 45 Communities served water contaminated with Butyl Benzylphthalate

Table. Butyl Benzylphthalate Exposure by State

597 thousand Americans in 5 states were served tap water contaminated with Butyl Benzylphthalate between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Butyl Benzylphthalate contamination
	Systems	Population
New Mexico	37	579,817
Arkansas	5	8,855
California	1	7,590
Florida	1	994
Maine	1	63
Total	45	597,319

Table. The most polluted communities

597,000 Americans in 45 communities were served tap water contaminated with Butyl Benzylphthalate between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Butyl Benzylphthalate level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Snell Hill Village Mhp Lewiston, ME	63	1 of 1	2 ppb (2 to 2 ppb)
2	Lake Harriet Estates Altamonte Springs, FL	994	1 of 1	1.3 ppb (1.3 to 1.3 ppb)
3	Elaine Waterworks Elaine, AR	1,963	1 of 3	1.11 ppb (0 to 3.33 ppb)
4	Holly Grove Waterworks Holly Grove, AR	2,281	1 of 3	1.05 ppb (0 to 3.14 ppb)
5	Center Grove Water Association Sheridan, AR	4,050	1 of 7	0.36 ppb (0 to 2.51 ppb)
6	Highland Meadows Laguna, NM	161	1 of 4	0.24 ppb (0 to 0.95 ppb)
7	Fifty Six Waterworks Fifty Six, AR	536	1 of 10	0.19 ppb (0 to 1.92 ppb)
8	Unm Valencia Campus Water System Belen, NM	2,100	1 of 2	0.19 ppb (0 to 0.37 ppb)
9	Cedar Creek Water Cooperative Inc. Placitas, NM	105	1 of 2	0.14 ppb (0 to 0.28 ppb)
10	Christ In The Desert Monastery Abiquiu, NM	40	1 of 1	0.13 ppb (0.13 to 0.13 ppb)

  Next -->

Health based limits for Butyl Benzylphthalate

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	1500 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.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	7000 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 Butyl Benzylphthalate

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 Butyl Benzylphthalate tests per year. 36,673 water suppliers failed to report any Butyl Benzylphthalate tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Butyl Benzylphthalate by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Butyl Benzylphthalate (1998-2003): 3,078 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

Butyl Benzylphthalate Violations

Because Butyl Benzylphthalate 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 Butyl Benzylphthalate, and any level is legal in tap water.