A survey and analysis of states' methodologies for deriving drinking water guidelines for chemical contaminants

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-2300(91)90039-X· OSTI ID:5642077

Paull, J M; Joellenbeck, L M; Cochran, R C; Sidhu, K S ^[1]

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1. Federal-State Toxicology and Regulatory Alliance Committee, Baltimore, MD (USA)

Data from a national survey questionnaire regarding the development of guidelines for chemical contaminants in drinking water were collected from all 50 states. Twenty-three states develop at least some of their own guidelines; the other 27 states rely on guidelines previously developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or by other states. States which derive guidelines generally employ toxicological criteria and risk assessment methodologies developed by the USEPA. Fourteen of the twenty-three states that develop their own guidelines depend on cancer potency factors derived by the USEPA to establish risk-based concentrations for carcinogens. Most of the states develop guidelines based on preventing possible excess cancer risk greater than one in one million. Seventeen of these twenty-three states rely on oral reference doses (RfDs) to derive guidelines for noncarcinogens. Examination and clarification of the states' approaches to guideline derivation reveal that although similar risk assessment techniques are generally employed, differences in assumptions, chemical classifications, and uncertainty factors may lead to variation in resultant guidance levels. Improved communication and coordination between states and the federal government may help reduce the variations and inconsistencies among the states in establishing drinking water guidelines for chemical contaminants.

• OSTI ID: 5642077
• Journal Information: Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology; (USA), Vol. 13:1; ISSN 0273-2300
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
DRINKING WATER
CONTAMINATION
WATER POLLUTION
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
CARCINOGENS
RECOMMENDATIONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
STATE GOVERNMENT
SURVEYS
US EPA
WATER SUPPLY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
REGULATIONS
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety