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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Chromium (total)

California State Fair

Chromium is a naturally occurring metal, but industrial uses can elevate its levels in water. One form, hexavalent chromium, causes cancer. Total chromium is not a good indicator of the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water.

 

18

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014N/A00N/A
20150.754 ppb1512ND - 2.50 ppb
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
2018ND30ND
2019N/A00N/A

ppb = parts per billion

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 100 ppb

The legal limit for total chromium, established in 1991, was based on a 1958 toxicity study in laboratory animals, and applies to both the less-toxic trivalent chromium and the more-toxic hexavalent chromium forms of this compound. This limit does not protect against the risk of cancer from ingestion of hexavalent chromium.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2015-01-21A5A0958-11A2.50 ppb
2015-01-21A5A0958-06A0.450 ppb
2015-01-21A5A0958-16A0.240 ppb
2015-01-21A5A0958-23A0.510 ppb
2015-01-21A5A0958-27A0.670 ppb
2015-01-21A5A0958-25A2.30 ppb
2015-04-015810-003-1003ND
2015-04-015810-004-1051ND
2015-04-015810-002-0945ND
2015-07-29A5F2562-11A2.30 ppb
2015-07-29A5F2562-06A0.490 ppb
2015-07-29A5F2562-23A0.490 ppb
2015-07-29A5F2562-27A0.500 ppb
2015-07-29A5F2562-25A0.530 ppb
2015-07-29A5F2562-16A0.330 ppb
2018-05-035810-004-1004ND
2018-05-035810-003-0936ND
2018-05-035810-002-0907ND