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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.

Bromochloromethane is a disinfection by-product and an EPA top priority for testing and study in tap water based on toxicity concerns; it is also an intermediate in chemical manufacturing and a fire extinguishing agent. Potential health impacts associated with Bromochloromethane include gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, and respiratory toxicity.

Sources of Bromochloromethane:

	Industry
	Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts (pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Bromochloromethane tests reported by 18,379 public water suppliers in 33 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 1.1 million people in 75 communities drank water contaminated with Bromochloromethane. In 2 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds. Bromochloromethane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

1,067,095 People drinking water contaminated with Bromochloromethane 75 Communities served water contaminated with Bromochloromethane 900 People drinking water contaminated with Bromochloromethane over health based limits 2 Communities served water with Bromochloromethane above health based limits

Table. Bromochloromethane Exposure by State

900 Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with Bromochloromethane at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Bromochloromethane contamination		Water suppliers reporting Bromochloromethane above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
New Hampshire	3	1,693	1	600
Nevada	4	66,275	1	300
New Jersey	6	291,176	0	0
Nebraska	2	212,800	0	0
Michigan	5	108,994	0	0
North Carolina	14	100,637	0	0
Utah	1	78,100	0	0
California	3	51,781	0	0
Arkansas	3	35,082	0	0
Oklahoma	5	26,096	0	0
Ohio	5	25,765	0	0
Alabama	5	22,714	0	0
Minnesota	2	16,000	0	0
Alaska	5	13,211	0	0
New York	5	11,683	0	0
Washington	2	1,894	0	0
Colorado	1	1,600	0	0
Texas	1	1,383	0	0
Pennsylvania	3	211	0	0
Total	75	1,067,095	2	900

Table. The most polluted communities

900 Americans in 2 communities were served tap water contaminated with Bromochloromethane above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Bromochloromethane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Hafen Ranch Estates Pahrump, NV	300	1 of 6	1183.33 ppb (0 to 7100 ppb)
2	Canaan Water Department Canaan, NH	600	1 of 1	62 ppb (62 to 62 ppb)

Health based limits for Bromochloromethane

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	50000 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.
Children's health-based limit for 10-day exposure	1000 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure. The Ten-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.
Lifetime health-based limit, non-cancer risk	90 ppb	Concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse, noncarcinogenic health effects for a lifetime of exposure. The Lifetime health-based limit (or Health Advisory, HA) is based on exposure for a a 70-kg adult consuming 2 liters of water per day. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	50 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 Bromochloromethane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.6 Bromochloromethane tests per year. 21,372 water suppliers failed to report any Bromochloromethane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Bromochloromethane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Bromochloromethane (1998-2003): 18,379 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.6 per year

Bromochloromethane Violations

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