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EWG Statement, 03/10/2008

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NATIONAL SUMMARY

Quality Varies Across the U.S.

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

Benzene is a chemical from factory pollution, leaching landfills and gas storage tanks. Potential health impacts associated with Benzene include cancer, cardiovascular or blood toxicity, developmental toxicity, endocrine toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity. [read more]

Sources of Benzene:

	Sprawl and Urban Areas (road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)
	Industry

An Environmental Working Group analysis of Benzene tests reported by 31,920 public water suppliers in 42 states shows that between 1998 and 2003, 1.7 million people in 200 communities drank water contaminated with Benzene. In 116 of these communities, tap water was contaminated at levels above health-based thresholds.

Exposure Summary

1,743,542 People drinking water contaminated with Benzene 200 Communities served water contaminated with Benzene 498,858 People drinking water contaminated with Benzene over health based limits 116 Communities served water with Benzene above health based limits

Table. Benzene Exposure by State

499 thousand Americans in 26 states were served tap water contaminated with Benzene at levels above health-based limits between 1998 and 2003.

State	Water suppliers with Benzene contamination		Water suppliers reporting Benzene above health-based limits
	Systems	Population	Systems	Population
Nebraska	8	73,001	7	66,651
California	9	145,645	7	63,645
Alaska	18	60,552	12	58,375
Florida	15	68,743	9	44,854
New Jersey	4	53,452	2	33,552
New Mexico	7	66,140	4	33,050
New Hampshire	10	31,532	10	31,532
Pennsylvania	14	40,009	3	30,010
Ohio	1	19,915	1	19,915
Illinois	4	53,616	1	17,700
Missouri	3	13,058	3	13,058
Minnesota	21	188,108	7	12,787
Wisconsin	12	53,758	5	12,238
North Carolina	11	22,542	8	12,053
Texas	9	23,463	7	11,823
North Dakota	5	7,618	5	7,618
Arkansas	6	67,616	4	7,468
Iowa	6	7,659	5	6,015
Tennessee	4	104,028	1	4,974
Idaho	1	3,800	1	3,800
Washington	5	3,109	4	2,755
South Carolina	3	2,226	3	2,226
Virginia	4	1,119	4	1,119
Alabama	7	113,748	1	1,038
Wyoming	1	477	1	477
Arizona	1	125	1	125
Kentucky	2	314,396	0	0
Delaware	1	200,000	0	0
Indiana	2	2,852	0	0
Colorado	4	985	0	0
Michigan	1	200	0	0
Oklahoma	1	50	0	0
Total	200	1,743,542	116	498,858

Table. The most polluted communities

499,000 Americans in 116 communities were served tap water contaminated with Benzene above health based limits between 1998 and 2003

Ranked by highest average Benzene level

Rank	System	Population Served	Positive test results of total reported tests	Average Level (Range)
1	Omaha Tribal Utilities (macy) Walthill, NE	1,800	1 of 1	86 ppb (86 to 86 ppb)
2	Village of Hyannis Water Hyannis, NE	200	2 of 9	12.22 ppb (0 to 70 ppb)
3	Mountain View Nursing Home Aroda, VA	80	2 of 3	5.03 ppb (0 to 8.1 ppb)
4	Arvin Community Services Dist Arvin, CA	16,000	34 of 105	4.36 ppb (0 to 39.6 ppb)
5	Village of Verdon Water Verdon, NE	223	1 of 3	3.59 ppb (0 to 10.78 ppb)
6	Town of Spring Lake Water Spring Lake, NC	11,025	1 of 5	3.4 ppb (0 to 17 ppb)
7	Heatherloch Municipal Utilities District Houston, TX	6,129	3 of 6	3.17 ppb (0 to 7.9 ppb)
8	Summerdale Water Works Summerdale, AL	1,038	5 of 6	3.15 ppb (0 to 6.79 ppb)
9	Rollinsford Water / Sewer District Rollinsford, NH	1,688	18 of 18	2.32 ppb (0.6 to 4.5 ppb)
10	City of Steubenville Water Steubenville, OH	19,915	1 of 4	2.28 ppb (0 to 9.1 ppb)

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Health based limits for Benzene

Health Limit	Limit Value	Limit Description
Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)	5 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	100 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.
California Public Health Goals	0.15 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.
EPA Human Health Water Quality Criteria	2.2 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	200 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	100 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 Benzene

Water suppliers report an average of 0.7 Benzene tests per year. 7,831 water suppliers failed to report any Benzene tests at all.

Are tests routinely required for Benzene by federal law? Yes Water suppliers reporting tests for Benzene (1998-2003): 31,920 of 39,751 Average testing rate for water supplier reporting tests (1998-2003): 0.7 per year

Benzene Violations

Table. 5.0 percent of all water suppliers violated safe drinking water standards for Benzene between 1998 and 2003

Violation Type	Violations	Systems
Any Violation (1998-2003)	4,737	2,861
	(5.0% of all suppliers)
Testing violations (1998-2003)	4,725	2,854
	(5.0% of all suppliers)
Reporting violations (1998-2003)	2	1
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)
Violations of tap water pollution standards (1998-2003)	10	9
	(< 0.1% of all suppliers)