Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Selenium

Middletown Water Department

Selenium is an essential element in diets. But too much selenium can decrease thyroid hormone production and cause hair loss, skin lesions and brittle fingernails.

 

24

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND40ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 30 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 30 ppb for selenium 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 hair loss and nail damage.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 50 ppb

The legal limit for selenium, established in 1991, was based on human epidemiological studies of populations exposed to naturally occurring selenium in drinking water. This limit does not include any additional consideration of children’s health.

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-01IOCR 200489002ND
2018-03-01IOC1 200489001ND
2018-04-16IOC1 200492152ND
2018-04-16IOCR 200492151ND
2019-05-13IOC1 200531892ND
2019-05-13IOCR 200531894ND
2019-05-21IOC1 200533082ND
2019-05-21IOCR 200533084ND
2020-05-06IOC1 200574724ND
2020-05-06IOCR 200574725ND
2020-05-14IOC1 200575834ND
2020-05-14IOCR 200575835ND
2021-03-30IOC1 200611335ND
2021-03-30IOCR 200611337ND
2021-03-30IOC1 200611336ND
2021-04-07IOCR 200612106ND
2022-05-11E300182524 300182533ND
2022-05-11E300182526 300182546ND
2022-05-11I300182528 300182552ND
2022-05-11I300182529 300182557ND
2023-06-23E300370712 300370715ND
2023-06-23E300370718 300370721ND
2023-06-23I300370724 300370727ND
2023-06-23I300370731 300370734ND