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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.

1,1-Dichloroethane is a fumigant; it is also used in paint and is a component of gasoline. Potential health impacts associated with 1,1-Dichloroethane include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, and neurotoxicity.

Sources of 1,1-Dichloroethane:

Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of 1,1-Dichloroethane tests reported by 25,467 public water suppliers in 38 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 7.0 million people in 108 communities drank water contaminated with 1,1-Dichloroethane. In 2 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds. 1,1-Dichloroethane remains unregulated in tap water, without a maximum legal limit.

Exposure Summary

6,996,666 People drinking water contaminated with 1,1-Dichloroethane 108 Communities served water contaminated with 1,1-Dichloroethane 85,078 People drinking water contaminated with 1,1-Dichloroethane over health based limits 2 Communities served water with 1,1-Dichloroethane above health based limits

Table. 1,1-Dichloroethane Exposure by State

85 thousand Americans in 2 states were served tap water contaminated with 1,1-Dichloroethane at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with 1,1-Dichloroethane contamination		Water suppliers reporting 1,1-Dichloroethane above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
Iowa	2	85,287	1	85,028
New Hampshire	8	38,314	1	50
California	10	4,206,906	0	0
Pennsylvania	4	839,975	0	0
New Jersey	10	418,925	0	0
Wisconsin	8	245,956	0	0
Delaware	1	200,000	0	0
Arizona	1	180,000	0	0
Indiana	4	176,646	0	0
Minnesota	5	108,250	0	0
New York	2	92,600	0	0
Nebraska	4	86,051	0	0
Florida	1	82,228	0	0
Michigan	2	48,830	0	0
Alabama	2	37,287	0	0
Colorado	2	35,862	0	0
Alaska	3	29,034	0	0
North Carolina	13	24,962	0	0
Ohio	3	18,349	0	0
Illinois	3	13,459	0	0
Arkansas	3	7,162	0	0
Maine	2	5,614	0	0
Washington	5	4,490	0	0
South Carolina	2	2,958	0	0
Texas	1	2,438	0	0
Oklahoma	2	2,161	0	0
Tennessee	1	1,359	0	0
Missouri	1	1,272	0	0
Nevada	1	172	0	0
Rhode Island	1	77	0	0
South Dakota	1	42	0	0
Total	108	6,996,666	2	85,078

Table. The most polluted communities

85,000 Americans in 2 communities were served tap water contaminated with 1,1-Dichloroethane above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average 1,1-Dichloroethane level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Sioux City Water Supply Sioux City, IA	85,028	23 of 26	11.45 ppb (0 to 72 ppb)
2	Green Hills Mhp Barrington, NH	50	5 of 5	6.64 ppb (5.4 to 8.8 ppb)

Health based limits for 1,1-Dichloroethane

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
California Public Health Goals	3 ppb	Defined by the State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) as the level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. For acutely toxic substances, levels are set at which scientific evidence indicates that no known or anticipated adverse effects on health will occur, plus an adequate margin-of safety. PHGs for carcinogens or other substances which can cause chronic disease shall be based solely on health effects without regard to cost impacts and shall be set at levels which OEHHA has determined do not pose any significant risk to health.

Testing Summary for 1,1-Dichloroethane

Water suppliers report an average of 0.6 1,1-Dichloroethane tests per year. 14,284 water suppliers failed to report any 1,1-Dichloroethane tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for 1,1-Dichloroethane by federal law? No Water suppliers reporting tests for 1,1-Dichloroethane (1998-2003): 25,467 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.6 per year

1,1-Dichloroethane Violations

Because 1,1-Dichloroethane 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 1,1-Dichloroethane, and any level is legal in tap water.