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A study commissioned by the Environmental Working Group tested the tap water of 35 American cities, revealing that 31 of those cities—89 percent—contained high levels of a carcinogenic chemical known as hexavalent chromium or chromium 6. Four California cities, Riverside, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, were among the contaminated areas—with Riverside and San Jose earning the grim distinction of being in the top five. The Environmental Protection Agency indicated that in tap water Chromium 6 is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” In 2009, responding to prior reports on chromium 6 in drinking water, California officials issued a Public Health Goal advocating for levels to not exceed point zero six (0.06) parts per billion (ppb). However, according to EWG’s new study, Riverside, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Sacramento all exceeded this Public Health Goal. Despite this admission, the EPA does not require water utilities to test for Chromium 6 and has not set a national legal limit. Regularly associated with steel and pulp mills, in addition to metal-plating and leather tanning facilities, Chromium 6 was introduced to Americans by the 2000 release of the film “Erin Brockovich,” which chronicled the struggles of cancer-stricken residents of Hinkley, California who successfully brought suit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 1996.

GUEST: Rebecca Sutton, Senior Scientist at the Environmental Working Group

Find out more at www.ewg.org.