| Contaminant |
MCL |
Health Effects |
| Antimony |
0.006 mg/L |
This inorganic chemical occurs naturally in the ground
and is often used in the flame retardant industry. It is
also used in ceramics, glass, batteries, fireworks and
explosives. It may get into drinking water through natural
weathering of rock, industrial production, municipal waste
disposal or manufacturing processes. This chemical has been
shown to decrease longevity, and alter blood levels of
cholesterol and glucose in laboratory animals such as rats
exposed to high levels during their lifetimes. EPA has set
the drinking water standard for antimony at 0.006 parts per
million (ppm) to protect against the risk of these adverse
health effects. Drinking water which meets the standard is
associated with little to none of this risk and should be
considered safe with respect to antimony. |
| Arsenic |
0.010 mg/L |
Arsenic is a semi-metal element in the periodic
table. It is odorless and tasteless. It enters drinking
water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or
from agricultural and industrial practices. Non-cancer
effects can include thickening and discoloration of the
skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; diarrhea; numbness
in hands and feet; partial paralysis; and blindness.
Arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs,
skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. EPA
has set the arsenic standard for drinking water at .010
parts per million (10 parts per billion) to protect
consumers served by public water systems from the
effects of long-term, chronic exposure to arsenic.
Drinking water which meets the EPA standard is
associated with little to none of this risk and should
be considered safe with respect to arsenic. |
| Asbestos |
7 Million
fibers/per Liter |
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. Most asbestos
fibers in drinking water are less than 10 micrometers in
length and occur in drinking water from natural sources and
from corroded asbestos-cement pipes in the distribution
system. The major uses of asbestos were in the production of
cements, floor tiles, paper products, paint, and caulking;
in transportation-related applications; and in the
production of textiles and plastics. Asbestos was once a
popular insulating and fire retardant material. Inhalation
studies have shown that various forms of asbestos have
produced lung tumors in laboratory animals. The available
information on the risk of developing gastrointestinal tract
cancer associated with the ingestion of asbestos from
drinking water is limited. Ingestion of intermediate-range
chrysotile asbestos fibers greater than 10 micrometers in
length is associated with causing benign tumors in male
rats. Chemicals that cause cancer in laboratory animals also
may increase the risk of cancer in humans who are exposed
over long periods of time. EPA has set the drinking water
standard for asbestos at 7 million long fibers per liter to
reduce the potential risk of cancer or other adverse health
effects which have been observed in laboratory animals.
Drinking water which meets the EPA standard is associated
with little to none of this risk and should be considered
safe with respect to asbestos. |
| Barium |
2 mg/L |
This inorganic chemical occurs naturally in some
aquifers that serve as sources of ground water. It is also
used in oil and gas drilling muds, automotive paints,
bricks, tiles and jet fuels. It generally gets into drinking
water after dissolving from naturally occurring minerals in
the ground. This chemical may damage the heart and
cardiovascular system, and is associated with high blood
pressure in laboratory animals such as rats exposed to high
levels during their lifetimes. In humans, EPA believes that
effects from barium on blood pressure should not occur below
2 ppm in drinking water. EPA has set the drinking water
standard for barium at 2 parts per million (ppm) to protect
against the risk of these adverse health effects. Drinking
water that meets the EPA standard is associated with little
to none of this risk and is considered safe with respect to
barium. |
| Beryllium |
0.004 mg/L |
This inorganic metal occurs naturally in the ground and
is often used in electrical equipment and electrical
components. It generally gets into water from run-off from
mining operations, discharge from processing plants and
improper waste disposal. Beryllium compounds have been
associated with damage to the bones and lungs and induction
of cancer in laboratory animals such as rats and mice when
the animals are exposed at high levels over their lifetimes.
Chemicals that cause cancer in laboratory animals also may
increase the risk of cancer in humans who are exposed over
long periods of time. EPA has set the drinking water
standard for beryllium at 0.004 part per million (ppm) to
protect against the risk of these adverse health effects.
Drinking water which meets the EPA standard is associated
with little to none of this risk and should be considered
safe with respect to beryllium. |
| Cadmium |
0.005 mg/L |
Food and the smoking of tobacco are common sources of
general exposure. This inorganic metal is a contaminant in
the metals used to galvanize pipe. It generally gets into
water by corrosion of galvanized pipes or by improper waste
disposal. This chemical has been shown to damage the kidneys
in animals such as rats and mice when the animals are
exposed at high levels over their lifetimes. Some industrial
workers who were exposed to relatively large amounts of this
chemical during working careers also suffered damage to the
kidneys. EPA has set the drinking water standard for cadmium
at 0.005 part per million (ppm) to protect against the risk
of these adverse health effects. Drinking water that meets
the EPA standard is associated with little to none of this
risk and is considered safe with respect to cadmium. |
| Chromium |
0.1 mg/L |
This inorganic metal occurs naturally in the ground and
is often used in the electroplating of metals. It generally
gets into water from run-off from old mining operations and
improper waste disposal from plating operations. This
chemical has been shown to damage the kidneys, nervous
system, and the circulatory system of laboratory animals
such as rats and mice when the animals are exposed at high
levels. Some humans who were exposed to high levels of this
chemical suffered liver and kidney damage, dermatitis and
respiratory problems. EPA has set the drinking water
standard for chromium at 0.1 part per million (ppm) to
protect against the risk of these adverse health effects.
Drinking water that meets the EPA standard is associated
with little to none of this risk and is considered safe with
respect to chromium. |
| Cyanide |
0.2 mg/L |
This inorganic chemical is used in electroplating, steel
processing, plastics, synthetic fabrics and fertilizer
products. It usually gets into water as a result of improper
waste disposal. This chemical has been shown to damage the
spleen, brain and liver of humans fatally poisoned with
cyanide. EPA has set the drinking water standard for cyanide
at 0.2 parts per million (ppm) to protect against the risk
of these adverse health effects. Drinking water which meets
the EPA standard is associated with little to none of this
risk and should be considered safe with respect to cyanide. |
| Fluoride |
4.0 mg/L |
State regulations require that fluoride, which occurs
naturally in some water supplies, not exceed a concentration
of 4.0 mg/L in drinking water. Exposure to drinking water
levels above 4.0 mg/L for many years may result in some
cases of crippling skeletal fluorosis, which is a serious
bone disorder. State regulations also require a water system to notify
the public when monitoring indicates that the fluoride in
drinking water exceeds 2.0 mg/L This is intended to alert
families about dental problems that might affect children
under nine years of age.
Fluoride in children's drinking water at levels of
approximately 1 mg/L reduces the number of dental cavities.
However, some children exposed to levels of fluoride greater
than about 2.0 mg/L may develop dental fluorosis. Dental
fluorosis, in its moderate and severe forms, is a brown
staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth.
Because dental fluorosis occurs only when developing
teeth (before they erupt from the gums) are exposed to
elevated fluoride levels, households without children are
not expected to be affected by this level of fluoride.
Families with children under the age of nine are encouraged
to seek other sources of drinking water for their children
to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting.
Your water supplier can lower the concentration of
fluoride in your water so that you will still receive the
benefits of cavity prevention while the possibility of
stained and pitted teeth is minimized. Removal of fluoride
may increase your water costs. Treatment systems are also
commercially available for home use. Low fluoride bottled
drinking water that would meet all standards is also
commercially available.
|
| Mercury |
0.002 mg/L |
This inorganic metal is used in electrical equipment and
some water pumps. It usually gets into water as a result of
improper waste disposal. This chemical has been shown to
damage the kidneys of laboratory animals such as rats when
the animals are exposed at high levels over their lifetimes.
EPA has set the drinking water standard for mercury at 0.002
part per million (ppm) to protect against the risk of these
adverse health effects. Drinking water that meets the EPA
standard is associated with little to none of this risk and
is considered safe with respect to mercury. |
| Nickel |
0.1 mg/L |
This inorganic metal occurs naturally in the ground and
is often used in electroplating, stainless steel and alloy
products. It generally gets into water from mining and
refining operations. This chemical has been shown to damage
the heart and liver in laboratory animals when the animals
are exposed to high levels over their lifetimes. EPA has set
the drinking water standard for nickel at 0.1 part per
million (ppm) to protect against the risk of these adverse
effects. Drinking water which meets the EPA standard is
associated with little to none of his risk and should be
considered safe with respect to nickel. |
| Nitrate |
10 mg/L as Nitrogen |
Nitrate is used in fertilizer and is found in sewage and
wastes from human and/or farm animals and generally gets
into drinking water from those activities. Excessive levels
of nitrate in drinking water have caused serious illness and
sometimes death in infants under six months of age. The
serious illness in infants is caused because nitrate is
converted to nitrite in the body. Nitrite interferes with
the oxygen carrying capacity of the child's blood. This is
an acute disease in that symptoms can develop rapidly in
infants. In most cases, health deteriorates over a period of
days. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blueness of
the skin. Clearly, expert medical advice should be sought
immediately if these symptoms occur. EPA has set the
drinking water standard at 10 parts per million (ppm) for
nitrate to protect against the risk of these adverse
effects. EPA has also set a drinking water standard for
nitrite at 1 ppm. To allow for the fact that the toxicity of
nitrate and nitrite are additive, EPA has also established a
standard for the sum of nitrate and nitrite at 10 ppm.
Drinking water that meets the EPA standard is associated
with little to none of this risk and is considered safe with
respect to nitrate. |
| Nitrite |
1 mg/L as Nitrogen |
This inorganic chemical is used in fertilizers and is
found in sewage and wastes from humans and/or farm animals
and generally gets into drinking water as a result of those
activities. While excessive levels of nitrite in drinking
water have not been observed, other sources of nitrite have
caused serious illness and sometimes death in infants under
six months of age. The serious illness in infants is caused
because nitrite interferes with the oxygen carrying capacity
of the child's blood. This is an acute disease in that
symptoms can develop rapidly. However, in most cases, health
deteriorates over a period of days. Symptoms include
shortness of breath and blueness of the skin. Clearly,
expert medical advice should be sought immediately if these
symptoms occur. EPA has set the drinking water standard for
nitrite at 1 part per million (ppm) to protect against the
risk of these adverse effects. EPA has also set a drinking
water standard for nitrate (converted to nitrite in humans)
at 10 ppm and for the sum of nitrate and nitrite at 10 ppm.
Drinking water that meets the EPA standard is associated
with little to none of this risk and is considered safe with
respect to nitrite. |
| Selenium |
0.05 mg/L |
Selenium is an essential nutrient at low levels of
exposure. This inorganic chemical is found naturally in food
and soils and is used in electronics, photocopy operations,
the manufacture of glass, chemicals, drugs, and as a
fungicide and a feed additive. In humans, exposure to high
levels of selenium over a long period of time has resulted
in a number of adverse health effects, including a loss of
feeling and control in the arms and legs. EPA has set the
drinking water standard for selenium at 0.05 part per
million (ppm) to protect against the risk of these adverse
health effects. Drinking water that meets the EPA standard
is associated with little to none of this risk and is
considered safe with respect to selenium. |
| Sodium |
160 mg/L |
The State of Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) has set the drinking water standard for
sodium at 160.0 parts per million (ppm) to protect
individuals that are susceptible to sodium sensitive
hypertension or diseases that cause difficulty in regulating
body fluid volume. Sodium is monitored so that individuals
who have been placed on sodium (salt) restricted diets may
take the sodium in their water into account. Sodium
naturally occurs in food and drinking water. Food is the
common source of sodium. Drinking water contributes only a
small fraction (less than 10 percent) to the overall sodium
intake. Sodium levels in drinking water can be increased by
ion-exchange softeners at water treatment facilities or some
point-of-use treatment devices. |
| Thallium |
0.002 mg/L |
This inorganic metal is found naturally in soils and is
used in electronics, pharmaceuticals, the manufacture of
glass and alloys. This chemical has been shown to damage the
kidneys, liver, brain and intestines of laboratory animals
when the animals are exposed at high levels over their
lifetimes. EPA has set the drinking water standard for
thallium at 0.002 parts per million (ppm) to protect against
the risk of these adverse health effects. Drinking water
which meets the EPA standard is associated with little to
none of this risk and should be considered safe with respect
to thallium. |
2012 State of Florida