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.

1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene is an intermediate for chemical manufacturing and is also used for termite control. No information on potential health impacts for 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene was identified in standard government and academic sources.

Sources of 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene tests reported by 22,163 public water suppliers in 34 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 213 thousand people in 23 communities drank water contaminated with 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

212,574 People drinking water contaminated with 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene 23 Communities served water contaminated with 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene

Table. 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene Exposure by State

213 thousand Americans in 9 states were served tap water contaminated with 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene contamination
	Systems	Population
Arkansas	10	114,448
Pennsylvania	2	42,700
California	2	42,336
North Carolina	1	5,656
Colorado	4	5,219
Washington	1	1,700
New Jersey	1	400
Alaska	1	65
New Hampshire	1	50
Total	23	212,574

Table. The most polluted communities

213,000 Americans in 23 communities were served tap water contaminated with 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Rolling Meadows Condos Iii Londonderry, NH	50	1 of 1	1.3 ppb (1.3 to 1.3 ppb)
2	Moab Irrigation District #20 Newman Lake, WA	1,700	1 of 2	0.25 ppb (0 to 0.5 ppb)
3	Kelso - Rohwer Water Association Watson, AR	597	1 of 2	0.17 ppb (0 to 0.34 ppb)
4	Mt Pleasant Waterworks Mt Pleasant, AR	1,145	1 of 1	0.17 ppb (0.17 to 0.17 ppb)
5	Washington County Water System Plymouth, NC	5,656	1 of 8	0.15 ppb (0 to 1.2 ppb)
6	Trailer City Vallejo, CA	100	1 of 5	0.14 ppb (0 to 0.7 ppb)
7	gillham regional water dist Wickes, AR	2,867	1 of 1	0.13 ppb (0.13 to 0.13 ppb)
8	Prairie Grove Waterworks Prairie Grove, AR	3,725	1 of 2	0.12 ppb (0 to 0.24 ppb)
9	Town of Genoa Water Erie, CO	280	1 of 1	0.12 ppb (0.12 to 0.12 ppb)
10	Donala Wsd Colorado Springs, CO	4,750	1 of 1	0.09 ppb (0.09 to 0.09 ppb)

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Testing Summary for 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene

Water suppliers report an average of 0.7 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene tests per year. 17,588 water suppliers failed to report any 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene (1998-2003): 22,163 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.7 per year

1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene Violations

Because 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene 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 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene, and any level is legal in tap water.