Potential Health Effects of Contaminants

Contaminent: Alachlor
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Eye, liver, kidney or spleen problems; anemia; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff from herbicide used on row crops
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.002

Contaminent: Arsenic
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Some people who drink water containing Arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards, runoff from glass & electronics production wastes
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.010

Contaminent: Atrazine
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Cardiovascular system or reproductive problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff from herbicide used on row crops
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.003

Contaminent: Benzene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Anemia; decrease in blood platelets; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from factories; leaching from gas storage tanks and landfills
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.005

Contaminent: Carbofuran
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Problems with blood, nervous system, or reproductive system
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Leaching of soil fumigant used on rice and alfalfa
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.040

Contaminent: Carbon Tetrachloride
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from chemical plants and other industrial activities
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.005

Contaminent: Chlordane
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver or nervous system problems; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Residue of banned termiticide
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.002

Contaminent: Chloride
Noticeable Effects above the Secondary MCL: Salty taste
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Information not available at this time
Secondary MCL 250 mg/L

Contaminent: Chlorobenzene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver or kidney problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from chemical and agricultural chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.1

Contaminent: Cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.070

Contaminent: Copper
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Short term exposure: Gastrointestinal distress.

Long term exposure: Liver or kidney damage.

People with Wilson’s Disease should consult their personal doctor if the amount of copper in their water exceeds the action level.
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: Copper is regulated by a treatment technique that requires systems to control the corrosiveness of their water. If more than 10% of tap water samples exceed the action level, water systems must take additional steps. For copper, the action level is 1.3 mg/L

Contaminent: o-Dichlorobenzene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.6

Contaminent: p-Dichlorobenzene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Anemia; liver, kidney or spleen damage; changes in blood
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.075

Contaminent: 1,2-Dichloroethane
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.005

Contaminent: 1,1-Dichloroethylene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.007

Contaminent: trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.1

Contaminent: 1,2-Dichloropropane
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.005

Contaminent: Endrin
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Residue of banned insecticide
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.002

Contaminent: Ethylbenzene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver or kidneys problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from petroleum refineries
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.7

Contaminent: Hardness
Aesthetic effects: Undesirable tastes or odors
Technical effects: Damage to water equipment or reduced effectiveness of treatment
for other contaminants

Contaminent: Heptachlor
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver damage; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Residue of banned termiticide
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.0004

Contaminent: Heptachlor Epoxide
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver damage; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Breakdown of heptachlor
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.0002

Contaminent: Iron
Noticeable Effects above the Secondary MCL: Rusty color; sediment; metallic taste; reddish or orange staining
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water:  Information not available at this time
Secondary MCL 0.3 mg/L

Contaminent: Lead
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Infants and children: Delays in physical or mental development; children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities.

Adults: Kidney problems; high blood pressure.
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: Lead is regulated by a treatment technique that requires systems to control the corrosiveness of their water. If more than 10% of tap water samples exceed the action level, water systems must take additional steps. For lead the action level is 0.015 mg/L

Contaminent: Lindane
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver or kidney problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff/leaching from insecticide used on cattle, lumber, gardens
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.0002

Contaminent: Manganese
Noticeable Effects above the Secondary MCL: Black to brown color; black staining; bitter metallic taste
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water:
Secondary MCL 0.05 mg/L

Contaminent: Methoxychlor
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Reproductive difficulties
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff/leaching from insecticide used on fruits, vegetables, alfalfa, livestock
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.04

Contaminent: Nitrate (measured as Nitrogen)
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff from fertilizer use; leaking from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 10

Contaminent: Nitrite (measured as Nitrogen)
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrite in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff from fertilizer use; leaking from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 1

Contaminent: Oxamyl
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Slight nervous system effects
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff/leaching from insecticide used on apples, potatoes, and tomatoes
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.2

Contaminent: pH
Noticeable Effects above the Secondary MCL: Low pH: Bitter metallic taste; corrosion.
High pH: Slippery feel; soda taste; deposits.
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Information not available at this time
Secondary MCL 6.5 – 8.5

Contaminent: Simazine
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Problems with blood
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Herbicide runoff
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.004

Contaminent: Styrene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver, kidney, or circulatory system problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from rubber and plastic factories; leaching from landfills
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.1

Contaminent: Sulfate
Noticeable Effects above the Secondary MCL: Salty taste
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Information not available at this time
Secondary MCL 250 mg/L

Contaminent: Tetrachloroethylene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from factories and dry cleaners
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.005

Contaminent: Toluene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Nervous system, kidney, or liver problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from petroleum factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 1


Contaminent: Total Coliform and E. coli
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 E. coli is bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Disease-causing microbes (pathogens) in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. This pathogen may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

Total Coliforms are not a health threat in itself; it is used to indicate whether other potentially harmful bacteria may be present.
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Coliforms are naturally present in the environment; as well as feces; E. coli only come from human and animal fecal waste.
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: Absent

Contaminent: Total Dissolved Solids
Noticeable Effects above the Secondary MCL: Hardness; deposits; colored water; staining; salty taste
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water:  Information not available at this time
Secondary MCL 500 mg/L

Contaminent: Toxaphene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Kidney, liver, or thyroid problems; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Runoff/leaching from insecticide used on cotton and cattle
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.003

Contaminent: 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Changes in adrenal glands
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from textile finishing factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.07

Contaminent: 1,1,1-Trichloroethane
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver, nervous system, or circulatory problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from metal degreasing sites and other factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.2

Contaminent: 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver, kidney, or immune system problems
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from industrial chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.005

Contaminent: Trichloroethylene
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Liver problems; increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from metal degreasing sites and other factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.005

Contaminent: Turbidity
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. It is used to indicate water quality and filtration effectiveness (such as whether disease-causing organisms are present). Higher turbidity levels are often associated with higher levels of disease-causing
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Soil runoff
MCL or TT1: (mg/L) 2: For systems that use conventional or direct filtration, at no time can turbidity (cloudiness of water) go higher than 1 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU), and samples for turbidity must be less than or equal to 0.3 NTUs in at least 95 percent of the samples in any month. Systems that use filtration other than the conventional or direct filtration must follow state limits, which must include turbidity at no time exceeding 5 NTUs

Contaminent: Vinyl Chloride
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Increased risk of cancer
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Leaching from PVC pipes; discharge from plastic factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 0.002

Contaminent: Xylenes (total)
Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL
(unless specified as short-term):		 Nervous system damage
Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water: Discharge from petroleum factories; discharge from chemical factories
MCL or TT1: (mg/L)2: 10

1EPA’s Definitions:
-Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.
-(TT) Treatment Technique – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
–2Units are in milligrams per liter (mg/L) unless otherwise noted. Milligrams per liter are equivalent to parts per million(PPM).