Chapter 21- Water Pollution3. This article deals with a nation-wide issue.
4. Water utilities have known about chromium (a carcinogen) that has been polluting water for the past few years and failed to release this information to the public. The American Water Works Association Research Foundation has been testing waters and doing research to find more about the amounts of hexavalent chromium in waters all over the country. They tested over 300 different water samples in over 40 states and determined that chromium was found in majority of water, especially in groundwater. Their studies also showed that when the water is treated by the utilities, the hexavalent chromium is not effectively removed. The worst part is that the utilities did not share this information, so millions of people have been drinking water not knowing that chromium was heavily found in it. This hexavalent chromium is a carcinogen when inhaled but studies also show that it has health impacts when in water as well. More tests are being conducted which may lead to a change in drinking water standards. California is already doing something about this problem and already lowered the drinking water standard for the chemical from 0.06 parts per billion to 0.02 parts per billion which will be in effect in January.
5. I think it is awful that the water companies did not share this crucial information with people and continued to let them drink water that could possibly increase peoples risk of cancer. They should have let them know as well as the EPA so that tests could be done and thoroughly looked at and dealt with. But I think it's good that at least one state (California) is already doing something about this problem to reduce the risks associated with the hexavalent chromium.
6. Hexavalent Chromium- Used for the production of stainless steel, textile dyes, wood preservation and as anti-corrosion and conversion coatings. Hexavalent chromium is recognized as a human carcinogen via inhalation.
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