Probable carcinogen hexavalent chromium found in drinking water of 31 U.S. cities

[The Straight Story]

Probable carcinogen hexavalent chromium found in drinking water of 31 U.S. cities

An environmental group that analyzed the drinking water in 35 cities across the United States, including Bethesda and Washington, found that most contained hexavalent chromium, a probable carcinogen that was made famous by the film "Erin Brockovich."

The study, which will be released Monday by the Environmental Working Group, is the first nationwide analysis of hexavalent chromium in drinking water to be made public.

It comes as the Environmental Protection Agency is considering whether to set a limit for hexavalent chromium in tap water. The agency is reviewing the chemical after the National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, deemed it a "probable carcinogen" in 2008.

The federal government restricts the amount of "total chromium" in drinking water and requires water utilities to test for it, but that includes both trivalent chromium, a mineral that humans need to metabolize glucose, and hexavalent chromium, the metal that has caused cancer in laboratory animals.

Last year, California took the first step in limiting the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water by proposing a "public health goal" for safe levels of 0.06 parts per billion. If California does set a limit, it would be the first in the nation

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/18/AR2010121802810.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. No list of the cities, I see.

[derby378]

4. Is Lubbock one of them, do you know?

Erin Brockovitch has been doing a lot of work there lately, IIRC.

[NutmegYankee]

5. Link:

http://www.ewg.org/chromium6-in-tap-water/findings

[lumpy]

8. Did you know that industrial waste water containing contaminants

such as chromium, lead, etc. are directly filtered into local water supply systems? Small amounts of these contaminants are allowed in industrial waste water. The problem is that over time some of these contaminants are built up in the human body which might explain the much higher incident of autism in children today and other health problems that have escalated. It is cheaper for industry to stream their industrial waste water in to water sources rather than other methods of disposal; and is approved by water districts to do so since so much contaminant is allowed under certain standards. The remnants of tap water that is distilled from home distilling units has foul odor,dark color and contains these contaminants. Frightening isn't it?

[crikkett]

19. ...the remnants contain contaminants but the distilled water is okay, right?

I'm still a little thick this morning.

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Thanks for the list...

[NutmegYankee]

16. You're welcome nt

[crikkett]

18. You don't seem surprised

(neither am i)

[PBS Poll-435]

2. Chrome 6 is the very basis of the largest direct-action lawsuit in our nation's history. nt

[Hawkeye-X]

3. Yep, and a movie too.

Erin Brockovich.

[TheDebbieDee]

6. I feel guilty that I am glad that I don't live in any of those cities!

I wonder how long these cities' water supplies have been contaminated......Have they had any health studies done? How did their supplies get contaminated?

[Control-Z]

11. Is there a list of the cities?

I'd like to know which ones they are. Even more, I would like to know which cities have safe drinking water. Every city in the nation needs to be tested, retested, and reported on.

[pintobean]

17. list of the cities

[SidDithers]

22. What the hell's going on in Norman...

that they have more than 6x higher concentration than the next highest on the list?

Sid

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

7. We have tanks of that work

For ahemical passivation of aluminum and other parts.
It's nasty shit. Most of the time, people ewear thier gloves when working with it.

[spooky3]

9. do filters like Brita help with this?

Until this problem is corrected, is there anything the "little guy" can do?

[Kurovski]

12. Buy a home distiller.

You can get one for as little as $100.

Google and ye shall find where to order. They really work, and the water is very refreshing.

Edit: after distillation, you can run and store it through Brita type filter.

[Maat]

13. That's what I do.

I'm aware of the pros and cons of using distilled water, but my hubby, who has a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering, says that it is the only to be able to drink water free of all of these dangerous contaminants. I made up for the minerals lost with supplements.

[Kurovski]

15. Yep.

Thanks for adding that.

[Maat]

23. If you can find a link to a good home distiller ..

would you post it, or send me a PM?

I'm actually going to forward it on. Thanks.

[Kurovski]

27. Mega home is the one I've used for almost ten years...

http://www.bestcovery.com/megahome-countertop-water-distiller-white-enamel-with-glass-collection

It cost 50.00 more than when I got mine, but you might find a cheaper place.

[spooky3]

20. thank you both

[bobbolink]

21. I knew the INDIVIDUAL SOLUTION would be promoted.

To hell with people who can't afford a "fix".

[spooky3]

25. Huh?

Please do me the courtesy of reading my post, interpreting it correctly and fairly, and not accusing me (or anyone else) of "promoting" anything when I clearly am not doing so. I'm simply asking for information. It's quite unfair for you to go on the attack.

[bobbolink]

26. Thank you so much for thinking of those who don't have the luxury of affording the fixes that you do

[Kurovski]

28. I lived on less than five hundred dollars a month when I bought mine.

I live on $600 now.

I'm physically ill and can't drink tap water y'all do day in and day out without becoming terribly sick within a matter of days.

God bless you bobbolink, but sometimes you are your own worst enemy with the regular self-righteous attacks on individuals' natural survivor instincts.

It does not help.

[jillan]

10. Do you ever have the feeling that we are screwed no matter what we do?

[fascisthunter]

24. Sick.... I wonder if we will see an explosion of cancer patients

hell, it's bad right now as is.