SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today California’s State Water Resources Board voted to finalize a new drinking water limit for hexavalent chromium, the notorious “Erin Brockovich” carcinogen.
The water board set a maximum contaminant level, or MCL, of 10 parts per billion, or ppb, for the chemical, a toxic industrial byproduct. It is commonly known as chromium-6.
The limit is dramatically at odds with the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, which has recommended an MCL that is 500 times lower, 0.02 ppb, to best protect public health from the dangers of chromium-6.
Environmental Working Group researchers have also recommended a 0.02 ppb target as necessary to guard against cancer risks from chromium-6 in drinking water. The board’s weak limit fails to provide adequate protections for Californians.
More than 35 million people in the state are exposed to chromium-6 at levels above 0.02 ppb in their drinking water, according to a 2022 EWG analysis.
For decades, scientists have linked exposure to chromium-6 with increased risk of cancer in people. Animal studies have found that chronic exposure to the chemical in drinking water can also cause other serious health harms, such as damage to the liver and reproductive systems.
The following statement is a response from EWG Senior Scientist Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D.:
The water board has failed the people of California. Chromium-6 is a known carcinogen – even at exceptionally low levels. It has no place in drinking water. Yet tens of millions of Californians ingest this toxic chemical every day.
As the water board’s own scientists have acknowledged, a legal limit of 10 ppb in tap water is far too high to protect people from the devastating effects of chronic chromium-6 exposure.
The board must honor its legal obligation to prioritize public health when setting the MCL for chromium-6.
###
The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
