EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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Credits

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

Benzo[g,h,i]perylene is a component of crude oil; pollutant from combustion of wood, coal, oil, propane, gasoline and diesel fuels; pollutant and from numerous industries, including petroleum refining and coal tar distillation; pollutant from municipal waste water treatment facilities and waste incinerators. No information on potential health impacts for Benzo[g,h,i]perylene was identified in standard government and academic sources.

Sources of Benzo[g,h,i]perylene:

	Sprawl and Urban Areas (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)
	Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts (pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Benzo[g,h,i]perylene tests reported by 2,985 public water suppliers in 12 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 2,281 people in 1 communities drank water contaminated with Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Benzo[g,h,i]perylene remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

2,281 People drinking water contaminated with Benzo[g,h,i]perylene 1 Community served water contaminated with Benzo[g,h,i]perylene

Table. Benzo[g,h,i]perylene Exposure by State

2,281 Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with Benzo[g,h,i]perylene between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Benzo[g,h,i]perylene contamination
	Systems	Population
Arkansas	1	2,281
Total	1	2,281

Table. The most polluted communities

2,281 Americans in 1 communities were served tap water contaminated with Benzo[g,h,i]perylene between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Benzo[g,h,i]perylene level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Holly Grove Waterworks Holly Grove, AR	2,281	1 of 3	0.09 ppb (0 to 0.26 ppb)

Testing Summary for Benzo[g,h,i]perylene

Water suppliers report an average of 0.5 Benzo[g,h,i]perylene tests per year. 36,766 water suppliers failed to report any Benzo[g,h,i]perylene tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Benzo[g,h,i]perylene by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Benzo[g,h,i]perylene (1998-2003): 2,985 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.5 per year

Benzo[g,h,i]perylene Violations

Because Benzo[g,h,i]perylene 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 Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and any level is legal in tap water.