JON HURDLE, CONTRIBUTING WRITER | AUGUST 6, 2021 | NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS
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 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.
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