Chlordane
Status: National drinking water standard exists
The cancer-causing pesticide chlordane was banned in 1988. Chlordane is persistent and accumulates in the body. It is still found in the environment and in the bodies of adults and newborn babies.
2015-2017:
12
states detected
55
utilities detected
3.5 million
people served
6
states over health guideline
24
utilities over health guideline
101,000
people served over health guideline
0
states over legal limit
0
utilities over legal limit
0
people served over legal limit
Health concerns for chlordane
Cancer
Hormone disruption
Harm to reproduction and child development
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EWG Health Guideline 0.03 ppb
The EWG Health Guideline of 0.03 ppb for chlordane 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) 2 ppb
The legal limit for chlordane, established in 1991, 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 chlordane exposure.
ppb = parts per billion
States reporting chlordane in drinking water
| UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES | UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Utilities | People Served | Utilities | People Served | |||
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1,847,761 | |||
| Hawaii | 2 | 72,743 | 5 | 765,049 | |||
| Delaware | 2 | 12,583 | 4 | 319,583 | |||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 2 | 271,900 | |||
| Florida | 3 | 8,675 | 10 | 172,035 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 0 | 7 | 87,958 | |||
| Connecticut | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11,590 | |||
| Alabama | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4,845 | |||
| Massachusetts | 1 | 4,000 | 1 | 4,000 | |||
| North Carolina | 15 | 2,952 | 15 | 2,952 | |||
| Rhode Island | 0 | 0 | 2 | 429 | |||
| Oklahoma | 1 | 75 | 1 | 75 | |||
Filtering technologies that reduce chlordane
Activated Carbon
Reverse Osmosis
Utilities with the highest amounts of chlordane, 2015-2017
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaddy Mobile Home Park | Kannapolis, NC | 3 of 3 | 0.533 ppb | 74 |
| Aloha Gardens Utilities | New Port Richey, FL | 3 of 5 | 0.530 ppb | 8,136 |
| Magnolia Woods | Greensboro, NC | 3 of 3 | 0.433 ppb | 72 |
| Westwood S/d | Holiday, FL | 6 of 7 | 0.410 ppb | 344 |
| Royal Acres S/d | Raleigh, NC | 4 of 9 | 0.397 ppb | 63 |
| Cedar Village II | Chapel Hill, NC | 6 of 7 | 0.372 ppb | 28 |
| Ashebrook Park | Gastonia, NC | 3 of 10 | 0.241 ppb | 239 |
| Mcconnell S/d | Dallas, NC | 2 of 5 | 0.226 ppb | 124 |
| Helms Water System | Stanley, NC | 5 of 12 | 0.207 ppb | 94 |
| Henlopen Acres, Town of | Rehoboth, DE | 1 of 2 | 0.200 ppb | 999 |
| Oak Ridge Military Academy | Oak Ridge, NC | 5 of 10 | 0.180 ppb | 130 |
| Berkshire Downs | Raleigh, NC | 3 of 10 | 0.166 ppb | 267 |
| Middlesex Water System | Middlesex, NC | 2 of 11 | 0.157 ppb | 850 |
| Aliamanu | Schofield Barracks, HI | 2 of 6 | 0.118 ppb | 7,513 |
| Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam* | Jbphh, HI | 2 of 6 | 0.118 ppb | 65,230 |
| Rolling Acres S/d | Raleigh, NC | 2 of 11 | 0.101 ppb | 58 |
| Camelot S/d | Garner, NC | 2 of 12 | 0.0982 ppb | 604 |
| Smyrna Water Department | Smyrna, DE | 1 of 3 | 0.0967 ppb | 11,584 |
| Colonial Heights-meadowbrook | Garner, NC | 1 of 7 | 0.0960 ppb | 77 |
| Snow Creek Heights Water System | Hickory, NC | 1 of 5 | 0.0560 ppb | 130 |
| Dalewood-monteray Water System | Gastonia, NC | 1 of 5 | 0.0548 ppb | 142 |
| Blue Skies Estates | Ocala, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.0433 ppb | 195 |
| Barre Water Department | Barre, MA | 1 of 5 | 0.0400 ppb | 4,000 |
| Boys Ranch Town | Edmond, OK | 1 of 1 | 0.0390 ppb | 75 |
| Avon Water Company* | Clinton, CT | 3 of 27 | 0.0289 ppb | 11,590 |
| Exeter Job Corps Center | Providence, RI | 1 of 11 | 0.0245 ppb | 300 |
| Ladd Center Water System* | North Kingstown, RI | 1 of 11 | 0.0245 ppb | 129 |
| Woodlands At Nuuanu | Honolulu, HI | 21 of 268 | 0.0191 ppb | 48 |
| Marine Corps Base Hawaii | Kaneohe Bay, HI | 21 of 268 | 0.0191 ppb | 15,900 |
| Honolulu-Windward-Pearl Harbor* | Honolulu, HI | 21 of 268 | 0.0191 ppb | 676,358 |
| Frostproof, City of | Frostproof, FL | 2 of 6 | 0.0177 ppb | 3,550 |
| Mulberry, City of | Mulberry, FL | 2 of 5 | 0.0176 ppb | 3,780 |
| Rogersville Water Works and Sewer Board | Rogersville, AL | 1 of 6 | 0.0167 ppb | 4,845 |
| Artesian Water Company* | Newark, DE | 7 of 102 | 0.0167 ppb | 301,000 |
| Fern Crest Utilities Inc. | Ft Lauderdale, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.0147 ppb | 4,643 |
| Molino Utilities Inc. | Molino, FL | 1 of 4 | 0.0115 ppb | 7,746 |
| South Broward Utility/sunrise | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1 of 3 | 0.00967 ppb | 9,457 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 6 | 0.00750 ppb | 128,729 |
| City of Fort Meade | Fort Meade, FL | 1 of 2 | 0.00500 ppb | 5,455 |
| Bellwood Borough Authority | Bellwood, PA | 1 of 12 | 0.00251 ppb | 3,162 |
| Blair Township Water & Sewer Authority | Duncansville, PA | 1 of 12 | 0.00251 ppb | 2,550 |
| Hollidaysburg Municipal Authority | Hollidaysburg, PA | 1 of 12 | 0.00251 ppb | 8,523 |
| Altoona Water Authority* | Altoona, PA | 1 of 12 | 0.00251 ppb | 62,500 |
| Freedom Township Water & Sewer | East Freedom, PA | 1 of 12 | 0.00251 ppb | 1,130 |
| Hillburn Village | Hillburn, NY | 1 of 149 | 0.00235 ppb | 950 |
| United Water New York* | West Nyack, NY | 1 of 149 | 0.00235 ppb | 270,950 |
| Bellefonte Borough Water Authority | Bellefonte, PA | 1 of 10 | 0.00185 ppb | 9,998 |
| Keswick Multi-care Center | Baltimore, MD | 3 of 24 | 0.00183 ppb | 147 |
| City of Baltimore* | Baltimore, MD | 3 of 24 | 0.00183 ppb | 1,600,000 |
| Apostolic Towers | Baltimore, MD | 3 of 24 | 0.00183 ppb | 200 |
* 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 Chlordane, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.
| Utility | Location | Tests | Average level | People served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam* | Jbphh, HI | 2 of 6 | 0.118 ppb | 65,230 |
| Smyrna Water Department | Smyrna, DE | 1 of 3 | 0.0967 ppb | 11,584 |
| Avon Water Company* | Clinton, CT | 3 of 27 | 0.0289 ppb | 11,590 |
| Honolulu-Windward-Pearl Harbor* | Honolulu, HI | 21 of 268 | 0.0191 ppb | 676,358 |
| Marine Corps Base Hawaii | Kaneohe Bay, HI | 21 of 268 | 0.0191 ppb | 15,900 |
| Artesian Water Company* | Newark, DE | 7 of 102 | 0.0167 ppb | 301,000 |
| Miramar (East & West) Plants | Miramar, FL | 1 of 6 | 0.00750 ppb | 128,729 |
| Altoona Water Authority* | Altoona, PA | 1 of 12 | 0.00251 ppb | 62,500 |
| United Water New York* | West Nyack, NY | 1 of 149 | 0.00235 ppb | 270,950 |
| City of Baltimore* | Baltimore, MD | 3 of 24 | 0.00183 ppb | 1,600,000 |
* 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 Chlordane, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.