Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Selenium

Pilot Mountain, Town of

NOTE: Pilot Mountain, Town of purchases water from City of Mount Airy which is required to test for selenium. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Mount Airy.

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.

 

10

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND10ND
2021ND10ND
2022ND10ND
2023ND20ND

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

NOTE: Pilot Mountain, Town of purchases water from City of Mount Airy which is required to test for selenium. Sample information shown below was taken by City of Mount Airy.

Date Lab ID Result
2018-01-3045855-01ND
2018-01-3045855-04ND
2020-01-2877782-01ND
2020-01-2877782-05ND
2021-01-26187-21ND
2021-01-26190-21ND
2022-01-25253-22ND
2022-01-25256-22ND
2023-02-0737729_23-06116ND
2023-02-0737729_23-06117ND