Science advisers say utilities should curb 1,4-dioxane to protect public health
BY JON HURDLE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER, NJ SPOTLIGHT
A science panel Thursday urged the Department of Environmental Protection to set one the nation’s strictest standards for a likely carcinogenic chemical in drinking water, in New Jersey’s latest initiative to protect public health from water-borne contaminants.
The Drinking Water Quality Institute, a group of scientists and water company executives that advises the DEP, unanimously recommended that the level of 1,4-dioxane, a synthetic chemical used in products including adhesives, resins, and waxes, should be regulated to a level of no more than 0.33 parts per billion in drinking water.
The so-called maximum contaminant limit was recommended by the panel in draft form last year, and is now formally forwarded to the DEP which will decide whether to propose it in a new rule. If the limit is adopted, it would require water companies to ensure that the chemical doesn’t exceed that level in public water systems.
The chemical caused tumors in multiple organs of rats, mice, and guinea pigs during laboratory testing, the water panel said in explaining the reasons for its recommendation. It’s one of a class of “emerging contaminants” which are found in pharmaceuticals, personal care or household cleaning products, lawn care, farm agricultural products, and many other applications, and may not be regulated by state or federal governments.
Animal studies have found that exposure to the chemical causes an increased risk of tumors of the liver, gall bladder, and nasal cavity, and short-term exposure could result in nausea, headaches, drowsiness, and irritation of the ears, nose and throat, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Scientists say water is main source of exposure
The EPA says the chemical is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” via all routes of exposure, including drinking water, which scientists say is the main source of exposure.
Late in 2018, the DEP set a standard for 1,4-dioxane in groundwater in New Jersey, joining 17 other states that have drinking water or groundwater guidelines.
New Jersey has a higher rate of contamination from 1,4-dioxane than the nation, EPA data shows. Tests in 2013-15 found the chemical in 17% of New Jersey’s public water systems at levels that exceeded the recommended health limit, almost three times the national rate of 6.6%
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