Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Chromium (total)

Salem Public Works

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.

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND20ND
20220.400 ppb31ND - 1.20 ppb
2023ND30ND

ppb = parts per billion

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-01-24201801250239-IND
2019-02-07201902080338-IND
2020-02-03202002040118-IND
2020-05-18202005190119-IND
2021-02-16202102170345-IND
2021-05-10202105110678-IND
2022-02-16202202180003-IND
2022-06-23380-6930-1-I1.20 ppb
2022-10-12380-24325-1-IND
2023-01-04380-33407-1-IND
2023-04-27380-45315-1-IND
2023-10-31380-69271-1-IND