Testing for chemical contaminants in drinking water:

What drinking water contamination tests should you order where there may be chemical contaminants present? This article explains the general classes of water contaminants covered in a water test for other chemicals, phthalates, endocrine disruptors, pesticides or pesticide contamination and similar contaminants.

The health effects of chemical contaminants in drinking water and drinking water monitoring requirements are also discussed in many US EPA documents (where exposure standards for more than 80 chemical contaminants are specified) as well as various state and municipal documents and water testing guides.

When & How Test for Chemical Contaminants in Water

The list of possible chemical contaminants is long and the number of possible tests so large, and potentially costly, that some research and thinking are needed before you can make an intelligent choice on just which water tests for chemical contaminants are appropriate for a given property.

While water test labs offer package tests that can screen for a wide number of chemical contaminants for a modest fee, (See for example STANDARD VA FHA WATER TEST , and  Title 5- water test parameters and  Comprehensive Water Test) none of these tests guarantees that all possible contaminants that could be present have been checked for a specific well.

Be sure to review the water test alternatives with your water test consultant or lab and with the neighbors of your property - neighbors and local water testing labs often are the most aware of what specific contaminants have been found in nearby wells or in surface and ground water. Below we collect comments and advice about both common and uncommon water contaminants that might be a concern at specific water wells or in other bodies of water such as lakes or streams where contaminants may affect both humans and other animals.

The list of chemical contaminant topics in water (below) is of necessity, incomplete, and we continue to add information to this article. Readers are welcome to Contact Us by email with content suggestions or corrections for this article.

• Agricultural sprays, weed killers, etc: in 1962 in Silent Spring, [Book] Rachael Carson drew attention to poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products as well as the use of sprays in agriculture, a practice that led to dangerous chemicals to the food source. Carson argued that those endocrine disrupting chemicals were more dangerous than radiation and that for the first time in history, humans were exposed to chemicals that stayed in their systems from birth to death.
• Endocrine disruptors: Readers interested in the subtle but powerful effects of hormone mimicking chemicals and endocrine disruptors that appear in the environment, their sources, effects, and risks, should also see Our Stolen Future, [Book] Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers.
  
  Also see our notes on PHTHALETES below.
  
  BPA - Bisphenol-A or BPA, one of the endocrine disruptors under study is also discussed at PLASTIC RECYCLING CODES, TANKS, TYPES
• Iron and other minerals (such as salt) at abnormal levels in water may be a hazard to some individuals. These substances may occur naturally in the water supply. Most comprehensive water tests include a check on the levels of these substances.
• Pesticides and Septic Systems: as we discuss
  at CHEMICALS to KEEP OUT OF SEPTICS, people who need to dispose of un-used pesticides should not put them in building drains or toilets. In the U.S. contact your state department of environment or local health department to find the nearest local hazardous waste disposal station where you can usually drop off unwanted chemicals, paint, etc., often at no charge.
  
  See PESTICIDE CONTAMINATION TEST for details of testing for pesticides.
  
  Also see PESTICIDE EXPOSURE HAZARDS for a wider discussion of pesticide exposure hazards in buildings.
• "Phthalate Syndrome": Phthalate contamination of groundwater and wells from phthalates: in a compelling article in the New York Times in July 2009 Nicholas D. Kristof reported on the possible hazards of phthalates, chemicals that can leach into their contents and thence into the environment from some plastic food or water containers, or even toys.
  
  While we have not found any research whatsoever that tests for the appearance of phthalates in septic systems and the ground water into which septic effluent ultimately appears, we recommend prudent avoidance of phthalate containing plastics for foods or beverages. Mr. Kristof pointed out that "These are ubiquitous in modern life ... -- and many scientists have linked them to everything from sexual deformities in babies to obesity and diabetes."
  
  Also see ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS.

Question: Water Test for BPA or Phthalates ?

Carol Reese said:

Not sure which test is best to test for PBAS and Phylates? - 2017/07/21

This question was posted originally at WELL YIELD, SAFE LIMITS an article about determining how much water is available from a private well.

Reply:

Carol,

I'm not sure what you mean by PBAs - perhaps you refer to BPA - a main component in polycarbonate clear plastic used for water bottles, baby bottles, food storage containers etc?

We discuss BPAs at Bisphenol-A, BPA

There you'll read that BPAs are a concern in water bottles or food containers etc. but you would not expect Bisphenol-A to appear in a private well water supply (nor in the public water supply).

You can ask your local water test lab to confirm that or to tell you what they have encountered in wells in your area - and use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to let me know what you're told and we can proceed from there.

Phthalates on the other hand (which I think you intended to write) are found in some water supplies as these chemicals can leach into the environment from Phthalate containing plastic products.

Chen et al (2008) have written about testing methods for Phthalates in water as have other authors. Their article describes the test methods used.

Before asking for this specific test for phthalates in your drinking water supply, as you're firing a specific bullet at what may be the wrong target, it would make sense to ask your water test lab, health department, and neighbors what has been found in wells in your area.

While I am not so dumb as to recommend against a specific water test (with not a shred of information about where you are nor what is your water source), I warn that you want to be sure you're looking as well for contaminants that are more likely to be present.

We discuss Phthalates as building water supply & environmental contaminants at

WELL PUMP & WATER TANK SAFETY

PLASTIC RECYCLING CODES, TANKS, TYPES

CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS in WATER

This MSDS about PLASTIC TARPS [PDF] is a clue to how widely these chemicals used.

• Cao, X. L. Phthalate esters in foods: sources, occurrence, and analytical methods. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety. 9:21-43 (2010).
• Jing, Chen, Xu Qun, and Jeffrey Rohrer. "Determination of Phthalates in Drinking Water by UHPLC with UV Detection." Matrix 20388 (2006): 21911-2008. retrieved 2017/07/21, original source: https://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/brochures/AN-1045-LC-Phthalates-Drinking-Water-AN70344-EN.pdf
  Abstract, partial
  
  Goal To develop an efficient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of 19 phthalate compounds in drinking water. The 19 target analytes cover those specified in European Union (EU) Directive 2005/84/EC; 1 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Methods 606 and 8061A; 2, 3 the Chinese HJ/T 72- 2001; 4 and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) GB/T 20388-20065 and ...
• US EPA & New York State DEC, "Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate - Human Health - water ingestion only Fact Sheet for Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate: (Human Health Carcinogen - water ingestion only), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation" [PDF], (1998), retrieved 2017/07/21, original source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/ny_hh_157_w_03121998.pdf
• Oregon DOH, "DIETHYL PHTHALATE AND DRINKING WATER" [PDF], Oregon Health Authority, Publich Health Division, (2015) Private well owners that have questions and concerns about diethyl phthalate in their water can call 971-673-0400 or email general.toxicology@state.or.us. (DWS) at 971-673-0405 or 711 for TTY., retrieved 2017/07/21, original source: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/HealthyEnvironments/DrinkingWater/Monitoring/Documents/health/phthalates.pdf

Conflicting Opinions and Difficulty of Research About Chemical Contaminants in Drinking Water

OPINION: One can cite at various reasons why readers will encounter varying opinions about the actual level of risk from various environmental contaminants:

• Conflicting interests: Some parties have conflicts of interest, financial concerns, or a wish to avoid potential litigation that can arise from admitting even the smallest level of risk from environmental contaminants. Follow the money trail as part of your assessment of credibility. See Kristof's [reviewers] citation of the viewpoint of the American Chemical Council and the chemical industry.
• Difficulty of setting chemical contaminant exposure standards: because endocrine disrupters may have very significant medical effects only during a narrow time window (such as at specific steps of sex determination of a developing ovum), and because these effects may occur when only a few molecules of the problem chemical are present and affecting the cells involved, the exposure levels that appear to be of potentially great concern may be so extremely low as to far exceed any contemporary standard as well as below the levels at which industry is able to control.
  
  These effects have been discussed by Kristof, Colborn et als, and in the 1960's by Carlson (as well as hundreds of researchers, physicians, and other experts.
• Subtlety and time duration before harmful effects are manifest: as documented in the texts we've cited, some physical effects in the humans or animals affected are subtle, perhaps not visible at all (DES sons and daughters for example), and while they occur at the time of gestation and development of the fetus of the human or animal involved, the actual health or reproductive impact may not be obvious for decades.
  
  (For example lowered sperm counts but not yet crossing the threshold at which a species cannot reproduce).
• Consumer fear of environmental hazards can sometimes be irrational or excessive, leading to inappropriate costs for the consumer or for industry.
  
  People are often confused about the absolute level of risk of some hazards and have difficulty comparing and responding appropriately to actual risk levels from different hazards (a client who smoked and does not wear her seat belt while in an automobile, but who was frightened of electromagnetic fields).
  
  See What is ENVIRO-SCARE for details.
• Technical difficulties in testing for extremely-low levels of some contaminants. Example, using the observation that BPA - Bisphenol-A or BPA, is an endocrine disruptor with possibly serious effects (see OUR STOLEN FUTURE [book]).
  
  One significance of this finding includes the observation that an important medical effect that occurs with exposure to chemicals in extremely low concentrations means that experiments to test for correlations between chemical exposure and subsequent serious medical problems will be deeply flawed if, for example, the experimental design does not include testing for the presence of the chemical at extremely low levels.
  
  A related concern is that even if harmful effects from exposure to extremely low concentrations of an endocrine disruptor are occurring, teasing out and proving that relationship can be also extremely difficult.
  
  Finally, whenever a study appears to discover that extremely low levels of exposure to something are harmful, questions are raised about the possibilities of confounding effects of other chemicals or contaminants that may be present both in equally small amounts or even in much larger quantities.

US EPA List of Drinking Water Contaminants

Original Source: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html

The links in the text that follows will direct the reader to additional details at the US EPA website. You will need to use the "BACK" button on your web browser to return to InspectAPedia.com

Microorganisms in Drinking Water

Disinfection Byproducts Found in Drinking Water

Disinfectants found in Drinking Water

Inorganic Chemicals found in Drinking Water

Organic Chemicals found in Drinking Water

Radionuclides found in Drinking Water

Notes

¹ Definitions - US EPA drinking water standards and contaminant levels:

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology and taking cost into consideration. MCLs are enforceable standards.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) - The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) - The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

Treatment Technique - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

² Units are in milligrams per liter (mg/L) unless otherwise noted. Milligrams per liter are equivalent to parts per million.

³ EPA's surface water treatment rules require systems using surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water to

(1) disinfect their water, and

(2) filter their water or meet criteria for avoiding filtration so that the following contaminants are controlled at the following levels:

• Cryptosporidium: (as of1/1/02 for systems serving >10,000 and 1/14/05 for systems serving <10,000) 99% removal.
• Giardia lamblia: 99.9% removal/inactivation
• Viruses: 99.99% removal/inactivation
• Legionella: No limit, but EPA believes that if Giardia and viruses are removed/inactivated, Legionella will also be controlled.
• Turbidity: At no time can turbidity (cloudiness of water) go above 5 nephelolometric turbidity units (NTU); systems that filter must ensure that the turbidity go no higher than 1 NTU (0.5 NTU for conventional or direct filtration) in at least 95% of the daily samples in any month. As of January 1, 2002, turbidity may never exceed 1 NTU, and must not exceed 0.3 NTU in 95% of daily samples in any month.
• HPC: No more than 500 bacterial colonies per milliliter.
• Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment (Effective Date: January 14, 2005); Surface water systems or (GWUDI) systems serving fewer than 10,000 people must comply with the applicable Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule provisions (e.g. turbidity standards, individual filter monitoring, Cryptosporidium removal requirements, updated watershed control requirements for unfiltered systems).
• Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (Effective Date: January 4, 2006) - Surface water systems or GWUDI systems must comply with the additional treatment for Cryptosporidium specified in this rule based on their Cryptosporidium bin classification calculated after the completion of source water monitoring.
• Filter Backwash Recycling; The Filter Backwash Recycling Rule requires systems that recycle to return specific recycle flows through all processes of the system's existing conventional or direct filtration system or at an alternate location approved by the state.

⁴ more than 5.0% samples total coliform-positive in a month. (For water systems that collect fewer than 40 routine samples per month, no more than one sample can be total coliform-positive per month.) Every sample that has total coliform must be analyzed for either fecal coliforms or E. coli if two consecutive TC-positive samples, and one is also positive for E.coli fecal coliforms, system has an acute MCL violation.

⁵ Fecal coliform and E. coli are 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. These pathogens may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

⁶ Although there is no collective MCLG for this contaminant group, there are individual MCLGs for some of the individual contaminants:

• Trihalomethanes: bromodichloromethane (zero); bromoform (zero); dibromochloromethane (0.06 mg/L): chloroform (0.07mg/L).
• Haloacetic acids: dichloroacetic acid (zero); trichloroacetic acid (0.02 mg/L); monochloroacetic acid (0.07 mg/L). Bromoacetic acid and dibromoacetic acid are regulated with this group but have no MCLGs.

⁷ The MCL values are the same in the Stage 2 DBPR as they were in the Stage 1 DBPR, but compliance with the MCL is based on different calculations. Under Stage 1, compliance is based on a running annual average (RAA). Under Stage 2, compliance is based on a locational running annual average (LRAA), where the annual average at each sampling location in the distribution system is used to determine compliance with the MCLs. The LRAA requirement will become effective April 1, 2012 for systems on schedule 1, October 1, 2012 for systems on schedule 2, and October 1, 2013 for all remaining systems.

⁸ Lead and copper are 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, and for lead is 0.015 mg/L.

⁹ Each water system must certify, in writing, to the state (using third-party or manufacturer's certification) that when acrylamide and epichlorohydrin are used in drinking water systems, the combination (or product) of dose and monomer level does not exceed the levels specified, as follows:

• Acrylamide = 0.05% dosed at 1 mg/L (or equivalent)
• Epichlorohydrin = 0.01% dosed at 20 mg/L (or equivalent)

National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations

National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs or secondary standards) are non-enforceable guidelines regulating contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water. EPA recommends secondary standards to water systems but does not require systems to comply. However, states may choose to adopt them as enforceable standards.

• National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations - The complete regulations regarding these contaminants available from the Code of Federal Regulations Web Site.
• For more information, read Secondary Drinking Water Regulations: Guidance for Nuisance Chemicals.

List of National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations

Unregulated Contaminants in Drinking Water

Watch out: there are hundreds of chemical contaminants that may be found in the water supply that as of 2016 are not regulated in the U.S. nor in many other countries. In addition there are thousands of new and modified chemicals constantly under development and production at a rate far greater than regulatory agencies are capable of testing for safety. The U.S. EPA has published a Draft Contaminant Candidate List 4-CCL4 that lists contaminants that may require regulation in the future in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (USA), described as follows:

The Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) is a list of contaminants that are currently not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulations, but are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems. Contaminants listed on the CCL may require future regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The Draft CCL 4 includes 100 chemicals or chemical groups and 12 microbial contaminants. The list includes, among others, chemicals used in commerce, pesticides, biological toxins, disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals and waterborne pathogens. These lists can be read by selecting the links below. - Source: U.S. EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency, "Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) and Regulatory Determination", retrieved 2016/02/08, original source: http://www.epa.gov/ccl/draft-contaminant-candidate-list-4-ccl-4

This list of contaminants which, at the time of publication, are not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulation (NPDWR), are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems, and may require regulations under SDWA. For more information check out the list, or vist the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) web site.

The U.S. EPA unregulated contaminants are actually divided into two sub-lists:

1. Draft CCL 4 Chemical Contaminants List [PDF] - Original source: http://www.epa.gov/ccl/chemical-contaminants-ccl-4. This is a lengthy list of chemical contaminants found in some water supplies. It includes various antibiotics, antifreeze, industrial solvents, defoliants, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, pharmaceutical chemicals, refrigerants, estrogen and hormone-mimicing compounds (see ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS at BUILDINGS), and other chemicals as well as a few naturally-occurring elements or substances.
   
   Examples include: 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane, 1,3-Butadiene, 1,4-Dioxane, 17alpha-estradiol, 1-Butanol, 2-Methoxyethanol, 2-Propen-1-ol, 3-Hydroxycarbofuran, 4,4'-Methylenedianiline, Acephate, Acetaldehyde (a disinfection byproduct from ozonation - see OZONE HAZARDS), Acetamide, Acetochlor, Acetochlor ethanesulfonic acid (ESA), Acetochlor oxanilic acid (OA), Acrolein, Alachlor ethanesulfonic acid (ESA), Alachlor ethanesulfonic acid (ESA), alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane, Aniline, Bensulide, Benzyl chloride, Benzyl chloride, Captan, Captan, Chloromethane (Methyl chloride), Clethodim, Cobalt, Cumene hydroperoxide, Cyanotoxins, Dicrotophos, Dimethipin, Disulfoton, Diuron, Equilenin, Equilin, Erythromycin, Estradiol (17-beta estradiol), Estriol, Estrone, Ethinyl estradiol (17-alpha ethynyl estradiol), Ethoprop, Ethylene glycol, Ethylene oxide, Ethylene thiourea, Fenamiphos, Formaldehyde (also produced by ozoneation), Germanium, HCFC-22, Halon 1011 (bromochloromethane), Hexane, Hydrazine, Manganese, Manganese, Methamidophos, Methanol, Methyl bromide (bromomethane), Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), Metolachlor, Metolachlor ethanesulfonic acid (ESA), Metolachlor oxanilic acid (OA), Molinate, Molinate, Nitrobenzene, Nitroglycerin, N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitroso-di-n-propylamine (NDPA), N-Nitrosodiphenylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), Norethindrone (19-Norethisterone), n-Propylbenzene, o-Toluidine, Oxirane, methyl, Oxydemeton-methyl, Oxyfluorfen, Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Permethrin, Permethrin, Quinoline, RDX (Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine), sec-Butylbenzene, Tebuconazole, Tebufenozide, Tellurium, Thiodicarb, Thiophanate-methyl, Toluene diisocyanate, Tribufos, Triethylamine, Triphenyltin hydroxide (TPTH), Urethane, Vanadium, Vinclozolin, Ziram.
2. Draft CCL 4 Microbial Contaminants List [PDF] - Original Source: http://www.epa.gov/ccl/microbial-contaminants-ccl-4. This list includes Adenovirus, Calciviruses, Campylobacter jejuni (bacteria), Enterovirus, Escheria coli (0157) (E-coli is one of the most common bacterial contaminants found in drinking water - Ed.), Helicobacter pylori, Hepatitis A virus, Legionella pneumophila (see LEGIONELLA LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE), Mycobacterium avium, Naegleria fowleri (a protozoan parasite), Salmonella enterica, Shigella sonnei.

[These articles link to the US EPA website]

• Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List 2
• Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) Web Site
• Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Program (UCM)
• Information on specific unregulated contaminants
  • MTBE (methyl-t-butyl ether) in drinking water
  • BPA - Bisphenol-A or BPA (regulated in some U.S. States - Sept. 2010)

Reader Question: reader points out EPA tables don't show data for BPA and other plastics and effects on drinking water

There is a huge amount of information to work through here, but I still can't find whether there is any potential for HDPE water storage tanks to leach BPA into the water.  Any simple answers?
- Anonymous 4/7/13

Reply: links added

You're right. We've added some data in the table above, not original to the EPA data.
Also see
Bisphenol-A, BPA
and
PLASTIC RECYCLING CODES, TANKS, TYPES - separate article

...

Continue reading at CHLORAMINE TESTS, WATER or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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• ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS at BUILDINGS
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• WATER QUALITY TEST CHOICES & WATER TEST FEES - home
• WATER TESTING ADVICE for home buyers and building owners: water contaminants, water test procedures, well shock procedures, preventing drinking water contamination

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Citations & References

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