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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Dimethyl phthalate

Harlingen Water Works System

Dimethyl phthalate is an additive used in plastics and other consumer products. As a group, phthalates are associated with hormone disruption. Read More.

Phthalates are synthetic chemicals that are added to hard plastics to make them soft and malleable. Phthalates can be found in everyday consumer products such as carpets, paints, glues, wall coverings, tablecloths, furniture upholstery, shower curtains, garden� hoses, toys, shoes, automobile upholstery, food packaging and medical products. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to respiratory health problems, asthma and allergies in infants and children, and changes in reproductive system development in baby boys. The National Toxicology Program classifies a commonly used phthalate, called di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or DEHP, as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2013N/A00N/A
2014ND40ND
2015ND20ND
2016ND20ND
2017ND20ND
2018ND20ND
2019ND20ND

ppb = parts per billion

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-03-25AC48194ND
2014-05-07AC53414ND
2014-05-07AC53415ND
2014-07-22AC60544ND
2015-03-19AC85429ND
2015-06-18AC96551ND
2016-03-08AD27734ND
2016-06-27AD41978ND
2017-03-16AD75572ND
2017-05-18AD84945ND
2018-02-20AE14537ND
2018-06-13AE29898ND
2019-02-06AE53295ND
2019-08-07AE77606ND