Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
Status: National drinking water standard exists
Hexachlorobenzene is a cancer-causing, neurotoxic and hormone-disrupting chemical used as a pesticide until 1984. It is still found in landfills and hazardous waste sites, and can be detected in people.
2015-2017:
7
states detected
27
utilities detected
297,000
people served
3
states over health guideline
5
utilities over health guideline
19,694
people served over health guideline
0
states over legal limit
0
utilities over legal limit
0
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for hexachlorobenzene
Cancer
Harm to the brain and nervous system
Hormone disruption
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.03 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.03 ppb for hexachlorobenzene 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 cancer.
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 1 ppb
The legal limit for hexachlorobenzene, established in 1992, was based on analytical detection limits at the time that the standard was set. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to hexachlorobenzene exposure.
ppb = parts per billion
States reporting hexachlorobenzene in drinking water
| UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
| Florida | 1 | 5,455 | 6 | 155,614 | |||
| Colorado | 0 | 0 | 11 | 89,994 | |||
| Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22,636 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 10,100 | 1 | 10,100 | |||
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8,624 | |||
| Nevada | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5,700 | |||
| Louisiana | 3 | 4,139 | 3 | 4,139 | |||
Filtering technologies that reduce hexachlorobenzene
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of hexachlorobenzene, 2015-2017
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri County Joint Municipal Authority* | Fredericktown, PA | 1 of 4 | 0.128 ppb | 10,100 |
| Columbia Heights Water District | Columbia, LA | 2 of 8 | 0.0550 ppb | 1,965 |
| City of Fort Meade | Fort Meade, FL | 1 of 2 | 0.0500 ppb | 5,455 |
| Red Hill Waterworks Inc.* | Georgetown, LA | 2 of 14 | 0.0429 ppb | 1,872 |
| Village of Georgetown Water Supply | Georgetown, LA | 2 of 14 | 0.0429 ppb | 302 |
| Mulberry, City of | Mulberry, FL | 2 of 5 | 0.00720 ppb | 3,780 |
| Entranosa Water and Wastewater Co-op* | Tijeras, NM | 1 of 3 | 0.00700 ppb | 8,500 |
| East Mountain Water Hauling | Tijeras, NM | 1 of 3 | 0.00700 ppb | 124 |
| South Broward Utility/sunrise | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.00667 ppb | 9,457 |
| Fern Crest Utilities Inc. | Ft Lauderdale, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.00600 ppb | 4,643 |
| Bourne Water District* | Pocasset, MA | 1 of 28 | 0.00332 ppb | 22,500 |
| Schooner Pass Trustees Condominiums | Bourne, MA | 1 of 28 | 0.00332 ppb | 136 |
| Redstone Water & Sanitation District | Snowmass, CO | 1 of 2 | 0.00305 ppb | 180 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 6 | 0.00300 ppb | 128,729 |
| Town of Breckenridge | Breckenridge, CO | 1 of 4 | 0.00243 ppb | 36,258 |
| Frostproof, City of | Frostproof, FL | 2 of 6 | 0.00210 ppb | 3,550 |
| Windcliff Property Owners Association | Estes Park, CO | 1 of 7 | 0.00140 ppb | 140 |
| Town of Estes Park* | Estes Park, CO | 1 of 7 | 0.00140 ppb | 16,022 |
| Prospect Mountain Water Company | Louisville, CO | 1 of 7 | 0.00140 ppb | 350 |
| Peetz, Town of | Peetz, CO | 1 of 10 | 0.00130 ppb | 295 |
| Paint Brush Hills | Falcon, CO | 1 of 16 | 0.00125 ppb | 3,250 |
| Yuma, City of | Yuma, CO | 2 of 15 | 0.000913 ppb | 4,049 |
| Ely Municipal Water Department* | Ely, NV | 1 of 10 | 0.000710 ppb | 5,000 |
| Ruth Water District | Mcgill, NV | 1 of 10 | 0.000710 ppb | 700 |
| Mountain Village, Town of | Redvale, CO | 1 of 10 | 0.000520 ppb | 8,700 |
| Ellicott Utilities Company LLC | Colorado Springs, CO | 1 of 21 | 0.000476 ppb | 150 |
| Cherokee MD* | Colorado Springs, CO | 1 of 21 | 0.000476 ppb | 20,600 |
* 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 Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri County Joint Municipal Authority* | Fredericktown, PA | 1 of 4 | 0.128 ppb | 10,100 |
| Bourne Water District* | Pocasset, MA | 1 of 28 | 0.00332 ppb | 22,500 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 6 | 0.00300 ppb | 128,729 |
| Town of Breckenridge | Breckenridge, CO | 1 of 4 | 0.00243 ppb | 36,258 |
| Town of Estes Park* | Estes Park, CO | 1 of 7 | 0.00140 ppb | 16,022 |
| Cherokee MD* | Colorado Springs, CO | 1 of 21 | 0.000476 ppb | 20,600 |
* 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 Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.