EWG INVESTIGATION

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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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WHAT'S IN YOUR WATER?

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

CONTAMINANTS DATABASE

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

Chloropicrin is an unregulated by-product of tap water disinfection, and a pesticide used as a fumigant and wood perservative. Potential health impacts associated with Chloropicrin include gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity. [read more]

Sources of Chloropicrin:

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

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Chloropicrin tests reported by 3 public water suppliers in 1 states shows that between 1998 and 2000, 200 thousand people in 1 communities drank water contaminated with Chloropicrin. No health-based limit has been established by the federal government.Chloropicrin remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

200,000 People drinking water contaminated with Chloropicrin 1 Community served water contaminated with Chloropicrin

Table. Chloropicrin Exposure by State

200 thousand Americans in 1 states were served tap water contaminated with Chloropicrin between 1998 and 2000.

State	Water suppliers with Chloropicrin contamination
	Systems	Population
California	1	200,000
Total	1	200,000

Table. The most polluted communities

200,000 Americans in 1 communities were served tap water contaminated with Chloropicrin between 1998 and 2000

Ranked by highest average Chloropicrin level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Contra Costa Water District Concord, CA	200,000	3 of 28	0.11 ppb (0 to 1.5 ppb)

Testing Summary for Chloropicrin

Water suppliers report an average of 6.2 Chloropicrin tests per year. 39,748 water suppliers failed to report any Chloropicrin tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Chloropicrin by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for Chloropicrin (1998-2000): 3 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2000): 6.2 per year

Chloropicrin Violations

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