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KW: I hope some people will chime in with their ideas, and/or any information they have on local levels of chromium-6. Since the EPA has requested — but not required — local governments to test for this carcinogen in our drinking water, it seems like an important step is for people to pressure Suffolk County and/or their local government to step up to the plate and do the testing. (Again, any information on the current status of testing would be appreciated.)
(excerpt from) The LA Times
EPA encourages regular testing for heavy metal in water
Cancer-causing hexavalent chromium, which attracted worldwide attention from the movie ‘Erin Brockovich,’ was found in tap water from Chicago and more than two dozen other cities.Federal regulators on Tuesday urged nationwide testing for cancer-causing hexavalent chromium, the latest response to a study that found the heavy metal in tap water from Chicago and more than two dozen other cities.
In a memo to public water systems, a top official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency encouraged quarterly or semi-annual testing for the metal, also known as chromium-6, which attracted worldwide attention from the movie “Erin Brockovich.”
The advice isn’t binding but could be one of the first steps toward national limits intended to reduce the cancer risk from years of exposure to contaminated water…
NSF International, a nonprofit group that tests the effectiveness of water filtration, says homeowners can reduce chromium levels with reverse osmosis technology and special distillation or filtration products. Inexpensive carbon filters are not certified to address chromium, according to the group…
Background and link to the group which instigated the current concern
The web page for Environmental Working Group has more information on chromium-6: here
The National Toxicology Program has concluded that hexavalent chromium (also called chromium-6) in drinking water shows “clear evidence of carcinogenic activity” in laboratory animals, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal tumors. In September 2010, a draft toxicological review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) similarly found that hexavalent chromium in tap water is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” – EWG
Filed under: activism, Ecology, Environment, green, local, long island, Long Island Politics, News, progressive politics, public health, sustainability, US Politics Tagged: | chemicals, chromium-6, Eric Brockovich, Erin Brokovich, hexavalent chromium, Long Island environment, Long Island water, plastic production, plastics, Suffolk County, Suffolk County water, water filters, water supply
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