California regulators voted Wednesday to establish a drinking water limit on hexavalent chromium, a toxic chemical compound made infamous by the movie 'Erin Brockovich.' The rule is the first in the nation to specifically target the heavy metal, known as chromium-6, and is expected to reduce the number of cancer and kidney disease cases from long-term ingestion, state officials say.
The standard could inspire other states to adopt their own. More than 200 million Americans are estimated to have the chemical compound in their drinking water, according to an analysis of federal water testing data by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization. Until now, California combined its drinking water standard for chromium-6 with the less toxic trivalent chromium, an essential nutrient.
This really leaves a lot of California communities unprotected from that really potent carcinogen,' said Tasha Stoiber, senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group. The board is required by law to set a limit as close to the public health goal as is economically and technologically feasible. Some public water providers warned that with the new standard customers will pay more for water and the financial burden will disproportionately fall on disadvantaged communities.
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