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National Primary Drinking Water Standards

Primary (Health Related) Organic Contaminants

Contaminant

MCLG (mg/L)

MCL (mg/L)

WQA Recommended Treatment Methods

Potential Health Effects from Ingestion of Water

Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water

2,4,5-TP (silvex)

  • 0.05

  • 0.05

  • Activated Carbon

  • Liver damage
  • Kidney damage

  • Herbicide residue
  • Cancelled in 1983

2,4-D

  • 0.07 mg/L

  • 0.07 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Liver damage
  • Kidney damage

  • Herbicide runoff

Acrylamide

  • zero

  • 0.0005 mg/L (action level)

  • Control of water treatment chemicals and surfaces in contact with water

  • Cancer
  • Nervous system effects

  • Polymers used in sewage/waste water treatment

Adipates (diethylhexyl)

  • 0.4 mg/L

  • 0.4 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon
  • Air Stripping

  • Decreased body weight
  • Reproductive difficulties

  • Leaching from PVC plumbing systems
  • Discharge from chemical factories

Alachlor

  • zero

  • 0.002 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Eye, liver, kidney or spleen problems
  • Anemia
  • Increased risk of cancer

  • Runoff from herbicide on row crops

Atrazine

  • 0.003 mg/L

  • 0.003 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cardiovascular system problems
  • Reproductive difficulties
  • Mammary gland tumors

  • Runoff from herbicide used on row crops

Benzene

  • zero

  • 0.005 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon
  • Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Some foods
  • Gas, drugs, pesticide, paint, plastic industries

Benzo(a)pyrene PAH

  • zero

  • 0.0002 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer
  • Reproductive difficulties

  • Coal tar coatings
  • Burning organic matter
  • Volcanoes and fossil fuels

Bromate

  • zero

  • 0.010 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Ozonation by-product

Carbofuran

  • 0.04 mg/L

  • 0.04 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Problems with blood or nervous systems
  • Reproductive difficulties

  • Soil fumigant
  • Restricted in some areas

Carbon tetrachloride

  • zero

  • 0.005 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon
  • Air Stripping

  • Cancer
  • Liver problems

  • Solvents and their degradation products

Chlordane

  • zero

  • 0.002 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer
  • Liver problems
  • Nervous system problems

  • Leaching from soil treatment for termites

Chlorite

  • 0.8 mg/L

  • 1.0 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Developmental neurotoxicity
  • Red blood cell effects

  • Chlorine dioxide by-product

Chlorobenzene

  • 0.1 mg/L

  • 0.1 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon
  • Air Stripping

  • Nervous system problems
  • Kidney problems
  • Liver problems

  • Waste solvent from metal degreasing processes

Dalapon

  • 0.2 mg/L

  • 0.2 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon

  • Kidney effects

  • Runoff from herbicide

Dibromochloropropane (DBCP)

  • zero

  • 0.0002 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon
  • Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Runoff/leaching from soil fumigant

Dichlorobenzene (ortho-)

  • 0.6 mg/L

  • 0.6 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon
  • Air Stripping

  • Kidney problems
  • Liver problems
  • Blood cell damage

  • Paints
  • Engine cleaning compounds
  • Dyes
  • Chemical wastes

Dichlorobenzene (para-)

  • 0.075 mg/L

  • 0.075 mg/L

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Room and water deodorants and "mothballs"

Dichloroethane (1,2-)

  • zero

  • 0.005

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Leaded gas, fumigants, paints

Dichloroethylene (1,1-)

  • 0.007

  • 0.007

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Cancer, liver and kidney effects

  • Plastics, dyes, perfumes, paints

Dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-)

  • 0.07

  • 0.07

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, kidney, nervous, circulatory system effects

  • Waste industrial extraction solvents

Dichloroethylene (trans-1,2-)

  • 0.1

  • 0.1

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, kidney, nervous, circulatory system effects

  • Waste industrial extraction solvents

dichloromethane (methylene chloride)

  • zero

  • 0.005

  • Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Paint stripper, metal degreaser, propellant, extractant

Dichloropropane (1,2-)

  • zero

  • 0.005

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, kidney effects; cancer

  • Soil fumigant; waste industrial solvents

Diethylhexyl phathalate

  • zero

  • 0.006

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • PVC and other plastics

Dinoseb

  • 0.007

  • 0.007

  • Activated Carbon

  • Thyroid, reproductive organ damage

  • runoff of herbicide from crop and noncrop applications

Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD)

  • zero

  • 0.00000003

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Chemical production by-product; impurity in herbicides

Diquat

  • 0.02

  • 0.02

  • Activated Carbon

  • Liver, kidney, eye effects

  • Runoff of herbicide on land and aquatic weeds

Endothall

  • 0.1

  • 0.1

  • Activated Carbon

  • Liver, kidney, gastrointestinal effects

  • Herbicide on crops, land/aquatic weeds; rapidly degraded

Endrin

  • 0.002

  • 0.002

  • Activated Carbon

  • Liver, kidney, heart damage

  • Pesticide on insects, rodents, birds; restricted since 1980

Epichlorohydrin

  • zero

  • 0.002 (action level)

  • Control of water treatment chemicals and surfaces in contact with water

  • Cancer

  • Water treatment chemicals; waste epoxy resins, coatings

Ethylbenzene

  • 0.7

  • 0.7

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, kidney, nervous system effects

  • Gasoline; insecticides; chemical manufacturing wastes

Ethylene dibromide (EDB)

  • zero

  • 0.00005

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Leaded gas additives; leaching of soil fumigant

Glyphosate

  • 0.7

  • 0.7

  • Activated Carbon Oxidation

  • Liver, kidney damage

  • Herbicide on grasses, weeds, brush

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)

  • zero

  • 0.060 (stage 1) (0.050 P*)

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer and other effects

  • Drinking water chlorination by-products

Heptachlor

  • zero

  • 0.0004

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Leaching of insecticide for termites, very few crops

Heptachlor epoxide

  • zero

  • 0.0002

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Biodegradation of heptachlor

Hexachlorobenzene

  • zero

  • 0.001

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Pesticide production waste by-product

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HEX)

  • 0.05

  • 0.05

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Kidney, stomach damage

  • Pesticide production intermediate

Lindane

  • 0.0002

  • 0.0002

  • Activated Carbon

  • Liver, kidney, nervous system, immune system, and circulatory system effects

  • Insecticide on cattle, lumber, gardens; restricted in 1983

Methoxychlor

  • 0.04

  • 0.04

  • Activated Carbon

  • Growth, liver, kidney, and nervous system effects

  • Insecticide for fruits, vegetables, alfalfa, livestock, pets

Oxamyl (vydate)

  • 0.2

  • 0.2

  • Activated Carbon

  • Kidney damage

  • Insecticide on apples, potatoes, tomatoes

PCBs (Polychlorinated byphenlys)

  • zero

  • 0.0005

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Coolant oils from electrical transformers; plasticizers

Pentachlorophenol

  • zero

  • 0.001

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer; liver and kidney effects

  • Wood preservatives, herbicides, cooling tower wastes

Picloram

  • 0.5

  • 0.5

  • Activated Carbon

  • Kidney, liver damage

  • Herbicide on broadleaf and woody plants

Simazine

  • 0.004

  • 0.004

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Herbicide on grass sod, some crops, aquatic algae

Styrene

  • 0.1

  • 0.1

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, nervous system

  • Plastics, rubber, resin, drug damage industries; leachate from city landfills

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)

  • zero

  • 0.005

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Improper disposal of dry cleaning and other solvents

Toluene

  • 1

  • 1

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, kidney, nervous system and circulatory system effects

  • Gasoline additive; manufacturing and solvent operations

Toxaphene

  • zero

  • 0.003

  • Activated Carbon

  • Cancer

  • Insecticide on cattle, cotton, soybeans; cancelled in 1982

Trichlorobenzene (1,2,4)

  • 0.07

  • 0.07

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, kidney damage

  • Herbicide production; dye carrier

Trichloroethane (1,1,1-)

  • 0.2

  • 0.2

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, nervous system effects

  • Adhesives, aerosols. textiles, paints, inks, metal degreasers

Trichloroethane (1,1,2-)

  • 0.003

  • 0.005

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Kidney, liver, nervous system damage

  • Solvent in rubber, other organic products; chemical production wastes

Trichloroethylene (TCE)

  • zero

  • 0.005

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • Textiles, adhesives and metal degreasers

Trihalomethanes (THMs) - Total

  • zero

  • 0.080 (stage 1) (0.040 P*)

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping; Ultrafiltration(20%-90%); Reverse Osmosis(20%-90%)

  • Cancer and other effects

  • Drinking water chlorination by-products

Vinyl chloride

  • zero

  • 0.002

  • Air Stripping

  • Cancer

  • May leach from PVC pipe; formed by solvent breakdown

Xylenes (total)

  • 10

  • 10

  • Activated Carbon; Air Stripping

  • Liver, kidney, nervous system effects

  • By-product of gasoline refining; paints, inks detergents

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