Thallium
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Thalium is a naturally occurring metal released into the environment from metal smelting and coal burning. Exposure to too much thalium can cause hair loss, liver damage, reduced sperm motility and nervous system impairment.
2015:
24
states detected
174
utilities detected
1.9 million
people served
22
states over health guideline
116
utilities over health guideline
435,000
people served over health guideline
1
states over legal limit
2
utilities over legal limit
425
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for thallium
Hair loss
Harm to the liver
Harm to the central nervous system
Harm to the brain and nervous system
Harm to the male reproductive system
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
Health Guideline 0.1 ppb
The health guideline of 0.1 ppb for thallium was defined by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk. This health guideline protects against harm to internal organs.
ppb = parts per billion.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 2 ppb
The enforceable federal standard that defines the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.
ppb = parts per billion.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal (MCLG)0.500 ppb
A non-enforceable federal health guideline. For cancer-causing chemicals, these health goals are typically set to zero.
ppb = parts per billion.
States reporting thallium in drinking water
| UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
| California | 3 | 3,283 | 17 | 659,466 | |||
| New York | 4 | 112,909 | 14 | 360,363 | |||
| Utah | 8 | 31,913 | 9 | 350,419 | |||
| Virginia | 0 | 0 | 4 | 156,467 | |||
| Washington | 6 | 105,903 | 8 | 108,229 | |||
| Kentucky | 1 | 4,538 | 13 | 60,569 | |||
| Colorado | 6 | 30,908 | 10 | 54,396 | |||
| Florida | 49 | 39,188 | 57 | 45,416 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 44,232 | 13 | 44,232 | |||
| Massachusetts | 2 | 29,271 | 2 | 29,271 | |||
| Arizona | 1 | 30 | 2 | 27,830 | |||
| South Carolina | 3 | 11,536 | 3 | 11,536 | |||
| North Carolina | 4 | 7,234 | 4 | 7,234 | |||
| Texas | 5 | 4,420 | 5 | 4,420 | |||
| Wisconsin | 1 | 2,119 | 2 | 3,469 | |||
| Arkansas | 2 | 3,036 | 2 | 3,036 | |||
| Alabama | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2,493 | |||
| Iowa | 2 | 2,409 | 2 | 2,409 | |||
| Wyoming | 1 | 830 | 1 | 830 | |||
| Ohio | 1 | 481 | 1 | 481 | |||
| Oregon | 1 | 325 | 1 | 325 | |||
| Nevada | 1 | 300 | 1 | 300 | |||
| South Dakota | 1 | 200 | 1 | 200 | |||
| Indiana | 1 | 20 | 1 | 20 | |||
Utilities with the highest amounts of thallium, 2015
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Oaks Mobile Home Park | Lakeland, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 35 |
| Davenport Mob Est | Haines City, FL | 1 of 1 | 3.00 ppb | 390 |
| White Haven Center | White Haven, PA | 1 of 1 | 2.00 ppb | 659 |
| Yuma West Mobile Home Park | Yuma, AZ | 1 of 1 | 1.90 ppb | 30 |
| Sugar Creek Resthome | Worthington, PA | 1 of 2 | 1.50 ppb | 176 |
| Clinton Waterworks | Clinton, WI | 3 of 3 | 1.50 ppb | 2,119 |
| Dallas, Town of | Dallas, NC | 1 of 1 | 1.40 ppb | 6,795 |
| Cabazon Water District | Cabazon, CA | 1 of 1 | 1.40 ppb | 2,535 |
| Caernarvon Township Authority | Morgantown, PA | 3 of 3 | 1.33 ppb | 4,139 |
| Dayton, Town Of | Dayton, WY | 1 of 1 | 1.31 ppb | 830 |
| Jordanelle Special Service District* | Heber City, UT | 1 of 1 | 1.30 ppb | 1,782 |
| Lucerne Lakeside Mobile Home Community | Winter Haven, FL | 1 of 1 | 1.20 ppb | 280 |
| Hunt Farms S/d | Garner, NC | 1 of 1 | 1.12 ppb | 88 |
| Inwood Estates | Plymouth, IN | 1 of 1 | 1.10 ppb | 20 |
| Eagle Mountain City | Eagle Mountain, UT | 10 of 13 | 1.04 ppb | 24,000 |
| California Water Service Co-lake Hughes | San Jose, CA | 1 of 3 | 1.000 ppb | 673 |
| Harmar Township Muni Authority* | Cheswick, PA | 1 of 1 | 1.000 ppb | 2,921 |
| Twin Pines Health Care Center | West Grove, PA | 1 of 1 | 1.000 ppb | 120 |
| Snell Isle Realty LLC | Auburndale, FL | 1 of 1 | 1.000 ppb | 200 |
| Martins Community Lp Mobile Home Park | Cochranville, PA | 1 of 1 | 1.000 ppb | 180 |
| Harmony Homes | Altamonte Springs, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.900 ppb | 234 |
| Mount Blanchard Village | Mt Blanchard, OH | 1 of 2 | 0.900 ppb | 481 |
| Annawood Subdivision | Tallahassee, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.800 ppb | 115 |
| Selah, City Of | Selah, WA | 2 of 2 | 0.700 ppb | 7,718 |
| Gardner Water Department | Gardner, MA | 1 of 2 | 0.700 ppb | 19,065 |
| City of Yakima Water Division* | Yakima, WA | 2 of 2 | 0.700 ppb | 65,238 |
| Branford Water Treatment Plant | Branford, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.700 ppb | 700 |
| North Pointe S/d | Auburndale, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.700 ppb | 192 |
| Twin Creeks Properties | Los Altos, CA | 1 of 1 | 0.690 ppb | 75 |
| Stw Property Duplexes | Lake Alfred, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.600 ppb | 100 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Thallium, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Mountain City | Eagle Mountain, UT | 10 of 13 | 1.04 ppb | 24,000 |
| City of Yakima Water Division* | Yakima, WA | 2 of 2 | 0.700 ppb | 65,238 |
| Gardner Water Department | Gardner, MA | 1 of 2 | 0.700 ppb | 19,065 |
| Town of Hempstead Water Department | East Meadow, NY | 9 of 21 | 0.552 ppb | 110,000 |
| Hanson Water Department | Hanson, MA | 1 of 2 | 0.500 ppb | 10,206 |
| Okeechobee Utility Authority | Okeechobee, FL | 1 of 1 | 0.200 ppb | 20,000 |
| Pineville Water System* | Pineville, KY | 1 of 1 | 0.1000 ppb | 16,573 |
| City of San Luis | San Luis, AZ | 6 of 6 | 0.0933 ppb | 27,800 |
| Salt Lake City Water System | Slc, UT | 3 of 16 | 0.0500 ppb | 318,506 |
| Hempstead | Hempstead, NY | 1 of 9 | 0.0489 ppb | 56,000 |
| Fredonia Village* | Fredonia, NY | 1 of 1 | 0.0300 ppb | 10,984 |
| New York American Water - Merrick | Merrick, NY | 2 of 27 | 0.0241 ppb | 177,000 |
| Western Virginia Water Authority* | Roanoke, VA | 3 of 9 | 0.00889 ppb | 155,000 |
| City of Durango* | Durango, CO | 1 of 12 | 0.00833 ppb | 23,069 |
| California Water Service - South San Francisco | San Jose, CA | 2 of 24 | 0.00142 ppb | 56,110 |
| Cal-water Service Company - Marysville | Chico, CA | 3 of 46 | 0.000891 ppb | 12,017 |
| California Water Service - Stockton | San Jose, CA | 4 of 34 | 0.000441 ppb | 185,346 |
| California Water Service (CWS) - Bakersfield* | San Jose, CA | 5 of 41 | 0.000268 ppb | 246,371 |
| City of Bakersfield | Bakersfield, CA | 1 of 63 | 0 ppb | 138,309 |
* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Thallium, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.