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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Health risk assessment of chloroform in California ground water

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:10158643

This document presents an assessment of potential health risks associated with exposure to chloroform dissolved in California ground waters used for domestic consumption, focusing primarily on information relevant to a determination of potential increased cancer risk that may be associated with such exposures to chloroform. This assessment is being provided to the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) for the development of drinking-water standards to manage the health risks of chloroform exposures. Other assessments required in the risk-management process include analyses of the technical and economic feasibilities of treating water supplies contaminated with chloroform. The primary goal of this health-risk assessment is to describe scientifically plausible dose-response relationships for chloroform-induced cancer observed experimentally in animal bioassays that are relevant to the estimation of potential cancer risk in humans. This document is intended to provide a scientific basis for regulatory selection of chloroform concentrations in California groundwater predicted to protect the general public from potential health risk, focusing on potential cancer risk in particular. To this end, we also analyze the extent of human exposures attributable to chloroform-contaminated groundwater in California. A separate health-risk assessment for potential toxic endpoints other than cancer that may be associated with water-based exposure to chloroform has been prepared by CDHS (1989).

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
10158643
Report Number(s):
UCRL--21170; ON: DE93014119
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English