2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin)
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Dioxins are contaminants released from chemical manufacturing, pulp and paper bleaching, and incineration of products that contain chlorine. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) is the most toxic chemical in the group of dioxins. Read More.
Dioxins are among the most toxic known environmental pollutants. As a class, dioxins are extremely toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative; these contaminants build up and are stored in fatty tissues and fluids, such as breast milk, and pass from the mother to the child. Most people are exposed to dioxins through the food they eat, primarily from meat, dairy, fish and eggs. In humans, dioxins are associated with cancer, birth defects, damage to the nervous and immune systems, altered metabolism, thyroid disruption, altered menstrual cycling and damage to the cardiovascular system.
2017-2019:
3
states detected
11
utilities detected
81,890
people served
3
states over health guideline
11
utilities over health guideline
81,890
people served over health guideline
0
states over legal limit
0
utilities over legal limit
0
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for 2,3,7,8-TCDD
Cancer
Harm to fetal growth and child development
Harm to the central nervous system
Hormone disruption
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.0002 ppt
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.0002 ppt for 2,3,7,8-TCDD was defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 0.03 ppt
ppt = parts per trillion
States reporting 2,3,7,8-TCDD in drinking water
UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
Kentucky | 6 | 68,302 | 6 | 68,302 | |||
Pennsylvania | 4 | 13,528 | 4 | 13,528 | |||
West Virginia | 1 | 60 | 1 | 60 |
Filtering technologies that reduce 2,3,7,8-TCDD

Activated Carbon

Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2017-2019
Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elkhorn City Water Department | Elkhorn City, KY | 2 of 4 | 0.00300 ppt | 1,723 |
Mountain Water District #1 Marrow Bone* | Pikeville, KY | 2 of 4 | 0.00300 ppt | 48,286 |
Clay City Water System | Clay City, KY | 2 of 4 | 0.00300 ppt | 2,153 |
Beech Fork Water Commission* | Clay City, KY | 2 of 4 | 0.00300 ppt | 25 |
Stanton Water Works | Stanton, KY | 2 of 4 | 0.00300 ppt | 6,611 |
Mingo County Psd - Delorme | Naugatuck, WV | 2 of 4 | 0.00300 ppt | 60 |
Saegertown Borough | Saegertown, PA | 2 of 16 | 0.00200 ppt | 1,500 |
Titusville Municipal Water* | Titusville, PA | 1 of 7 | 0.00200 ppt | 6,146 |
Pleasantville Borough Water | Pleasantville, PA | 1 of 7 | 0.00200 ppt | 892 |
* 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 2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mountain Water District #1 Marrow Bone* | Pikeville, KY | 2 of 4 | 0.00300 ppt | 48,286 |
* 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 2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.