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Memorandum
To:
Winston H. Hickox, Secretary for Environmental Protection
From:
Joan E. Denton, Ph.D., Director
Date:
February 4, 1999
Subject:
Adoption of 20 Public Health Goals for chemicals
in California drinking water (1998-99)
In accordance with Health and Safety Code, Section 116365 (California
Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996, SB 1307, Calderon/Sher), the Office
of Environmental Health Assessment (OEHHA) hereby adopts Public
Health Goals (PHGs) for 20 chemicals in drinking water based exclusively
on public health considerations. OEHHA has completed 19 technical
support documents which provide the basis for the adoption of the
20 PHGs. These documents have undergone a public workshop and two
public review and comment periods in fulfillment of the requirements
of Health and Safety Code, Section 57003 (SB 1082). The final documents
have incorporated changes in response to peer review and public
comments and will be available on our web site. The 20 chemicals
and the corresponding PHGs are presented in Table
1.
The full documents are available and are also on-line. Go
to the download page for the final PHG documents.
The support documents provide information on health effects of chemicals
and estimates of the levels of chemicals in drinking water that
would pose no significant health risk to individuals consuming the
water on a daily basis over a lifetime. PHGs represent non-mandatory
goals based solely on public health considerations and are developed
based on the best available data in the scientific literature. These
documents provide technical assistance to the Department of Health
Services for establishing primary drinking water standards (State
Maximum Contaminant Levels, or MCLs) which also consider economic
factors and technical feasibility. They also provide relevant information
on the chemicals to federal, state, and local public health officials.
OEHHA appreciates this opportunity for developing the PHGs in fulfillment
of our mission in environmental and public health protection.
California Public Health Goals (PHGs)1
for Chemicals in Drinking Water
| Chemical |
PHG (m g/L
or ppb)2
|
| Atrazine |
0.15
|
| Bentazon |
200
|
| Cadmium |
0.07
|
| Chromium (total) |
(withdrawn 11/09/01) |
| 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
(DBCP) |
0.0017
|
1,2-Dichloroethane
(1,2-DCA, ethane dichloride, ethylene dichloride, EDC)
Updated 09/16/05 |
0.4
|
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene
(1,1-DCE, vinylidene chloride, VDC) |
10
|
| 1,2-Dichloropropane
(1,2-DCP, propylene chloride) |
0.5
|
| 1,3-Dichloropropene
(Telone IIâ , 1,3-DCP) |
0.2
|
| Endrin |
1.8
|
| Heptachlor |
0.008
|
| Heptachlor epoxide |
0.006
|
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
(HEX) |
50
|
Lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane,
g -HCH, g
-BHC, g -HCCH)
Updated 6/22/05 |
0.032
|
| Mercury inorganic |
1.2
|
| Methoxychlor |
30
|
| Thallium |
0.1
|
| Toluene (methylbenzene) |
150
|
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
(1,2,4-TCB, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzol) |
5
|
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethylene
(TCE) |
0.8
|
Footnotes:
1.
Public Health Goals (PHGs) are developed by the Office of Environmental
Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), California Environmental Protection
Agency (Cal/EPA)
2.
m g/L = micrograms per liter or ppb = parts per billion.
*Final
Public Health Goal documents and response to comments will be
posted on our web site.
For
technical assistance or comments, please contact our Web
Mistress
Last
Updated February 10, 1999
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