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: Regulated - EPA has established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for this contaminant.

Bromoform is a disinfection by-product. Potential health impacts associated with Bromoform include cancer, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, and respiratory toxicity. [read more]

Sources of Bromoform:

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

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Bromoform tests reported by 26,747 public water suppliers in 41 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 104 million people in 6,331 communities drank water contaminated with Bromoform. In 726 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds.

Exposure Summary

103,856,151 People drinking water contaminated with Bromoform 6,331 Communities served water contaminated with Bromoform 4,363,943 People drinking water contaminated with Bromoform over health based limits 726 Communities served water with Bromoform above health based limits

Table. Bromoform Exposure by State

4.4 million Americans in 34 states were served tap water contaminated with Bromoform at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Bromoform contamination		Water suppliers reporting Bromoform above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
Ohio	345	7,894,848	45	1,259,398
Texas	1,995	16,134,704	318	998,773
Florida	186	9,008,267	39	525,846
California	407	21,121,182	28	460,179
Arkansas	332	2,426,569	49	269,831
Oklahoma	195	1,437,003	23	116,649
Illinois	316	5,809,665	25	90,227
Michigan	100	1,890,277	4	72,086
North Carolina	226	2,243,061	23	68,987
Colorado	197	1,854,347	29	64,235
New Jersey	201	5,807,443	4	50,880
Missouri	231	1,818,621	18	45,116
North Dakota	13	213,237	3	44,489
Virginia	26	872,978	4	42,420
Idaho	49	495,954	9	41,894
Nebraska	106	1,035,301	6	35,503
New York	36	132,312	13	34,756
Iowa	43	773,655	4	30,350
Arizona	188	4,023,810	12	29,263
New Hampshire	81	280,704	5	26,770
Alabama	66	1,616,634	4	14,433
Indiana	131	2,710,209	4	12,062
South Dakota	27	56,457	2	7,126
Tennessee	25	1,316,340	1	5,613
Washington	179	2,914,894	26	4,007
Wyoming	9	126,587	1	3,780
South Carolina	52	891,278	1	2,534
Alaska	60	46,817	6	1,764
Utah	36	499,701	4	1,280
Maine	17	19,236	2	1,259
New Mexico	134	1,158,354	6	1,036
Montana	23	114,514	4	827
Minnesota	59	968,584	2	512
Nevada	49	1,980,693	2	58
Wisconsin	104	2,435,409	0	0
Pennsylvania	58	1,145,185	0	0
Massachusetts	16	357,129	0	0
Delaware	13	224,192	0	0
Total	6,331	103,856,151	726	4,363,943

Table. The most polluted communities

4.4 million Americans in 726 communities were served tap water contaminated with Bromoform above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Bromoform level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Adirondack Residential Ctr. Schyler Falls, NY	80	1 of 1	600 ppb (600 to 600 ppb)
2	Vaughn Cascade County Water and Sewer Di Vaughn, MT	500	1 of 1	530 ppb (530 to 530 ppb)
3	Mayfield Village Water Works Mayfield, NY	817	1 of 1	500 ppb (500 to 500 ppb)
4	Cobblestone Cove Peru, NY	75	1 of 1	500 ppb (500 to 500 ppb)
5	Chasands Mobile Home Park Peru, NY	120	1 of 1	500 ppb (500 to 500 ppb)
6	Cadyville Water District Plattsburgh, NY	660	1 of 1	500 ppb (500 to 500 ppb)
7	Vails Grove Cooperative Brewster, NY	510	1 of 2	255 ppb (0 to 510 ppb)
8	Nsbu - Kaktovik (barter Is) Barrow, AK	269	7 of 7	134.73 ppb (67.7 to 272 ppb)
9	Valmeyer Valmeyer, IL	650	1 of 1	133.4 ppb (133.4 to 133.4 ppb)
10	Heritage Hills Campground Brookville, IN	850	1 of 5	120 ppb (0 to 600 ppb)

  Next -->

Health based limits for Bromoform

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	80 ppb	The enforceable standard which defines the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to health-based limits (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, or MCLGs) as feasible using the best available analytical and treatment technologies and taking cost into consideration. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Maximum Contaminant Limit Goal (MCLG)	0 ppb	A non-enforceable health goal that is set at a level at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons occurs and which allows an adequate margin of safety. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
One in ten thousand (10-4) Cancer Risk	800 ppb	The concentration of a chemical in drinking water corresponding to an excess estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	4.3 ppb	Water quality criteria set by the US EPA provide guidance for states and tribes authorized to establish water quality standards under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect human health. These are non-enforceable standards based upon exposure by both drinking water and the contribution of water contamination to other consumed foods. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children's health-based limit for 1-day exposure	5000 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	200 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.
Drinking Water Equivalent Level	1000 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 Bromoform

Water suppliers report an average of 1.6 Bromoform tests per year. 13,004 water suppliers failed to report any Bromoform tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Bromoform by federal law? Yes Water suppliers reporting tests for Bromoform (1998-2003): 26,747 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 1.6 per year

Bromoform Violations

Table. 1.1 percent of all water suppliers violated safe drinking water standards for Bromoform between 1998 and 2003

Violation Type	Violations	Systems
Any Violation (1998-2003)	852	633
	(1.1% of all suppliers)
Testing violations (1998-2003)	845	633
	(1.1% of all suppliers)
Violations of tap water pollution standards (1998-2003)	7	1
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)