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.

1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene is used in building materials, furnishings, and chemical manufacturing; it also may be a water disinfection by-product. Potential health impacts associated with 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene include neurotoxicity and respiratory toxicity. [read more]

Sources of 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene tests reported by 22,193 public water suppliers in 33 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 385 thousand people in 43 communities drank water contaminated with 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene. 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

384,723 People drinking water contaminated with 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene 43 Communities served water contaminated with 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene

Table. 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Exposure by State

385 thousand Americans in 17 states were served tap water contaminated with 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene contamination
	Systems	Population
California	6	289,462
Michigan	4	27,219
Nebraska	4	25,091
Wisconsin	2	15,097
Oklahoma	1	8,900
New Mexico	2	4,980
New Jersey	2	3,882
Nevada	2	2,762
Washington	2	1,758
Iowa	3	1,664
Arkansas	4	870
Alaska	3	854
North Carolina	3	751
Colorado	2	525
Ohio	1	395
Texas	1	363
Maine	1	150
Total	43	384,723

Table. The most polluted communities

385,000 Americans in 43 communities were served tap water contaminated with 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Greene Municipal Water Supply Greene, IA	1,099	1 of 1	4 ppb (4 to 4 ppb)
2	Pitkas Point Water System Pitkas Point, AK	158	2 of 7	3.85 ppb (0 to 26.5 ppb)
3	Rosepeak Water System Dayton, NV	2,735	1 of 6	2.5 ppb (0 to 15 ppb)
4	Wardtown Park Freeport, ME	150	1 of 1	1 ppb (1 to 1 ppb)
5	Ferndale Water Ferndale, MI	22,105	1 of 1	0.7 ppb (0.7 to 0.7 ppb)
6	Little Portion Hermitage Berryville, AR	28	1 of 6	0.6 ppb (0 to 3.61 ppb)
7	Golden Oaks Mobile Estates Orangevale, CA	86	1 of 2	0.55 ppb (0 to 1.1 ppb)
8	Village of Verdon Water Verdon, NE	223	1 of 3	0.51 ppb (0 to 1.52 ppb)
9	Shannon Estates Wsd Longmont, CO	500	1 of 1	0.4 ppb (0.4 to 0.4 ppb)
10	Cullasaja Club Highlands, NC	584	1 of 13	0.4 ppb (0 to 5.18 ppb)

  Next -->

Health based limits for 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	10000 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.

Testing Summary for 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene

Water suppliers report an average of 0.7 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene tests per year. 17,558 water suppliers failed to report any 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene (1998-2003): 22,193 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.7 per year

1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene Violations

Because 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene 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 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene, and any level is legal in tap water.