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.

Iodomethane is a proposed active pesticide ingredient currently under review; naturally occurring compound in seafood; industrial chemical with range of applications, including in microscopy, manufacture of pharmaceuticals, and as fire extinguisher. Potential health impacts associated with Iodomethane include cancer, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity.

Sources of Iodomethane:

Agriculture (pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Iodomethane tests reported by 4,169 public water suppliers in 5 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 188 thousand people in 3 communities drank water contaminated with Iodomethane. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Iodomethane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

188,412 People drinking water contaminated with Iodomethane 3 Communities served water contaminated with Iodomethane

Table. Iodomethane Exposure by State

188 thousand Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with Iodomethane between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Iodomethane contamination
	Systems	Population
Texas	2	164,520
New Jersey	1	23,892
Total	3	188,412

Table. The most polluted communities

188,000 Americans in 3 communities were served tap water contaminated with Iodomethane between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Iodomethane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	City of Big Spring Big Spring, TX	25,233	1 of 13	0.17 ppb (0 to 2.2 ppb)
2	City of Beaumont Water Utility Departmen Beaumont, TX	139,287	1 of 16	0.15 ppb (0 to 2.4 ppb)
3	Monroe Twp Municiple Utilities Authority Williamstown, NJ	23,892	1 of 15	0.03 ppb (0 to 0.4 ppb)

Testing Summary for Iodomethane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.7 Iodomethane tests per year. 35,582 water suppliers failed to report any Iodomethane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Iodomethane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Iodomethane (1998-2003): 4,169 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.7 per year

Iodomethane Violations

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