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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Chromium (total)

Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority

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.

 

23

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20140.614 ppb86ND - 1.30 ppb
20150.410 ppb106ND - 0.830 ppb
2016ND20ND
2017ND10ND
2018ND10ND
2019ND10ND

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
2014-04-21ND
2014-04-21ND
2014-08-25201408260397AM0.550 ppb
2014-08-25201408260380AM0.580 ppb
2014-08-25201408260365AM0.510 ppb
2014-11-18201411200421AM1.30 ppb
2014-11-18201411200446AM1.10 ppb
2014-11-18201411200479AM0.870 ppb
2015-02-18201502190979AM0.830 ppb
2015-02-18201502191107AM0.580 ppb
2015-02-18201502191047AM0.720 ppb
2015-05-20201505210381AM0.610 ppb
2015-05-20201505210343AM0.690 ppb
2015-05-20201505210443AM0.670 ppb
2015-09-2313327712ND
2015-09-2313327723ND
2015-12-0113573070ND
2015-12-0113573066ND
2016-07-2114652505ND
2016-07-2114652495ND
2017-05-2516174978ND
2018-05-0218E0265-01ND
2019-05-3019E2844-01ND